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MR. F. E. BENNETT, 

Expert Pi?tol and Revoh^er Shot. 



THE 



MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL 
AND REVOLVER 



INCLUDING 



A DESCRIPTION OF MODERN PISTOLS AND REVOLVERS 

OF AMERICAN MAKE; AMMUNITION USED IN 

THESE ARMS ; RESULTS ACCOMPLISHED ; 

AND SHOOTING-RULES FOLLOWED 

BY AMERICAN MARKSMEN 



.^ cr 



A^ C? GOULD 

Editor of The Rife 




BOSTON 

A. C. GOULD & CO., PUBLISHERS 

1888 



Copyright, iS88 
By a. C. GOULD & CO. 



Press of 

HocHtoell ^ Ctjurci)ill, 

Boston. 



PREFACE. 



For many years the author was among the 
great number of persons who believed it was 
impossible to do fine shooting with a pistol 
beyond a few yards, and out of the question to 
secure much accuracy from a revolver. With 
the object of learning the limit of accuracy these 
arms possessed, a great many experiments were 
arranged and exhibitions given by the most skil- 
ful marksmen to be found. The spirit of rivalry 
soon became apparent, and, without doubt, has 
considerably aided in determining the possibilities 
of the pistol and revolver. 

The author feels that his labors have not been 
in vain, as he has the testimony of manufactur- 
ers of these arms, as well as cartridge-makers, 
that the results obtained within a period of three 
years are finer than it was thought possible. 

As we close this little volume it is apparent 
that revolver and pistol shooting is about to be- 
come a very popular sport; the cavalry and 
artillery of the National Guard in America are 



VI PREFACE. 

likely soon to be equipped with and instructed 
in the use of the revolver. As pistol practice in- 
creases in popularity, events herein recorded will, 
doubtless, be equalled and excelled many times. 
The author begs to acknowledge courtesies 
extended to him by Messrs. Smith & Wesson ; 
Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Co. ; Merwin, Hulbert, 
& Co. ; Union Metallic Cartridge Co. ; United 
States Cartridge Co. ; Messrs. Wm. R. Schaefer 
& Son ; John P. Lovell Arms Co. ; as well as 
the many professional and amateur shots w^ho 
have devoted time and money to aid in develop- 
ing the American pistol and revolver. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I 

Page 
American Pistols and Revolvers . , . . 5 

chaptp:r II. 

Single-Shot Pistols — Description of Various Ameri- 
can Patterns ...,.,. 9 

CHAPTER III. 

American Revolvers — Smith & Wesson's Produc- 
tions ......... 21 

CHAPTER IV. 
The Merwin, Hulbert, & Co.'s Revolvers . . -36 

CHAPTER V. 

The Colt's Revolver ... ... 46 

CHAPTER VI. 
Sights for Revolvers and Pistols . . , '56 

CHAPTER VII. 
Ammunition for Pistols and Revolvers . . .64 



2 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Page 
Reloading Ammunition for Pistols and Revolvers . 75 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Possibilities of the Revolver — Results of Re- 
volver-firing up to Fifty Yards . . . .90 

CHAPTER X. 

Pistol and Revolver Shooting at Long Range . .116 

CHAPTER XL 

Rules for Pistol and Revolver Shooting . . . 126 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Page 
Portrait of Mr. F. E. Bennett . . Frontispiece 

Stevens Target Pistol (Lord Model) . . . ii 

" (Conlin Model) ... 13 

Remington Single-Shot Pistol .... 15 

New 6-inch Barrel Stevens Pistol .... 16 

Colt's National Deringer ..... 17 

Remington Vest-Pocket Pistol .... 19 

Smith & Wesson .32-calibre Single-Action Re- 
volver ........ 23 

Smith & Wesson Revolver (Russian Model) 

Single Action ....... 25 

Smith & Wesson Revolver (Russian Model) 

Double Action ....... 27 

Smith & Wesson Hammerless Safety Revolver . 33 

Opening the Merwin, Hulbert, & Co. Revolver . 37 
Merwin, Hulbert, & Co.'s Revolver — Manner of 

Ejecting Shells ....... 39 

Colt's Revolver, .38-calibre, Double Action . . 51 

" " (Frontier Model) . - - - SZ 

*' " (Army Model) - - - - S?) 

Sights for Revolvers and Pistols . . - S^, 59, 61 

Chevalier Ira A. Paine ... , . 60 

Winchester Reloading Tool ..... 76 

Ideal Reloading Tool . . , v . . 79 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Target made by Mr. F. E. Bennett . 84, 

Target made by Mr. George Bird . 

" Mr. Pierre Lorillard, Jr, 
" Mr. J. T. B.Collins 
" Mr. Allen P. Kellv 
" Chevalier Ira A. Paine 
" Mr. W. W. Bennett 
'* Mr. D. D. Davis 
" Mr. George Bird 
Position, Mr. F. E. Bennett . 
" Chevalier Ira A. Paine 

Mr. W. W. Bennett . 
Mr. B. J. Robertson 
" Mr. Walter Winans . 

" Miss Annie Oakley . 

Standard American Target 
Holsters ..... 
Six shots with Colt's Frontier Model Revolver 



Page 
100, 114 

92, 96 
94 
99 
103 
105 
loS 
109 
no 
112 
1^5 
"7 
119 
121 
127 

• 125 
129, 131 

• ^35 



THE 



MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL 
AND REVOLVER. 



CHAPTER I. 



TOURING the years the author has been inter- 
^ ested in studying fire-arms, and endeavoring 
to learn the greatest amount of accuracy it was 
possible to secure from them, his attention has fre- 
quently been attracted to the statements of individ- 
uals in relation to pistols and revolvers, which 
were mostly in the form of contributions to sports- 
men's journals, or in books clironicling the advent- 
ures of living heroes of the plains and backwoods, 
— many of the latter passing through the author's 
hands for review and criticism. It was noticeable 
that brief matter in relation to pistols and revolv- 
ers, which was found in print, came from two 
classes, — one making the most absurd statements 
in relation to feats performed with these arms, 
which were entirely beyond the possibilities of 
both arms and ammunition, and which were im- 
mediately recognized as coming from parties who 
knew little or nothing about the subject. The 
statements which came from the other class — the 
contributors to sportsmen's journals — were evi- 



6 THE ^MODERN AMERICAN 

dently from parties who had expected to perform 
the impossible feats, and, failing to do so, poured 
out their wrath in print, condemning the makers 
of the arms, and making libellous statements in 
reference to the arms, which at once indicated that 
it was lack of skill, rather than imperfections in 
the tools. 

All skilled marksmen who have handled the 
modern American pistol and revolver must be 
aware that those of standard make are strong, 
well-made, safe, and accurate. It is believed that 
no attempt has ever been made to learn the pos- 
sibilities of the various weapons, the greatest 
accuracy, range, and power, and record them for 
comparison in a single volume. Government tests 
have been made by the Ordnance Department, 
but its work has been almost wholly w^ith revolvers 
suitable for military purposes. As there are a 
number of w^eapons which possess power, accuracy, 
and are in every way equal in effectiveness to 
those accepted by military authorities, it is appar- 
ent that the reports of government tests do not 
fully represent all of the weapons which w^ould 
properly be classed as weapons of defence or 
suitable for military purposes. 

Any attempt to record an historical account of 
the inventions and improvement in the American 
pistol and revolver w^ould, doubtless, prove un- 
interesting to a majority of the readers of this 
work, and have but little practical value ; we 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 7 

therefore refrain from any mention of priority of 
invention or description of the arms of early 
manufacture, and confine our descriptions of the 
pistol and revolver of to-day. Those in use at the 
present time, for extensive and elaborate experi- 
ments and investigations, have impressed the 
author with the fact that improvements have con- 
stantly been going on, and that the pistol and 
revolver of the present time are as much superior to 
those produced a quarter of a century ago as the 
modern rifle is superior to the ancient flint-lock 
musket. The world moves, mechanical skill 
improves, artistic knowledge of form and symmetry 
is each year combined with mechanical ingenuity, 
and at the present time the American pistol and 
revolver has reached a degree of perfection pre- 
viously unknown ; and it is our purpose to 
describe in this volume the modern pistol and re- 
volver of American make, those manufactured in 
quantity known in trade, and procurable by any 
one desiring to secure a safe and reliable w^eapon. 
There are a few pistols made in this country by 
hand, but the number is so small that they are un- 
known to the trade ; and, although great stories have 
occasionally reached us of the accuracy of these 
arms, we have never yet found one which would 
begin to compare with the accuracy of those con- 
structed by manufacturers who have made the 
perfection of the arm a study of years. The stand- 
ard single-shot pistols of American make at the 



8 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

present time are the Stevens, Remington, and Wes- 
son. The revolvers, the Smith & Wesson, Colt's, 
Merwin & Hiilbert, and Remington. The country 
is flooded with revolvers of other make, some of 
them good enough for the purpose intended, for a 
very short-range w^eapon of defence, among them 
the products of the Marlin Arms Co., the American 
Arms Co., and Harrington & Richardson ; but a 
majority of the revolvers to be found throughout 
the country are cheaply made, unreliable, inaccu- 
rate, and, above all, unsafe, and endanger the 
lives of those w^ho attempt to use them, though 
they bear names high-sounding enough to capti- 
vate rustics and juvenile purchasers ; and this has 
always seemed to the author to be the chief cause 
of so many condemning the modern revolver. 
All of the pistols and revolvers described in the fol- 
lowing chapters have been carefully and thorough- 
ly tested by expert marksmen, a careful comparison 
made, and the results given, unless specified, are 
not the finest results obtainable by the best experts ; 
but the average results secured, and those it is 
believed to be within the reach of ordinary marks- 
men possessing an average amount of health and 
strength. 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER 



CHAPTER II. 



SINGLE-SHOT PISTOLS. 

A NUMBER of years ago, when gentlemen 
sought to vindicate their honor by duels with 
pistols, it was the custom to provide themselves with 
a pair of duelling-pistols. These were generally of 
large calibre, often 50 or ^-inch, generally of 
smooth bore and flint-lock. These and even larger 
calibres were also made for the cavalrymen in the 
service. Then came the percussion pistol, many 
styles of duelling-pistols, both smooth bore and 
rifled, and to-day many Southern gentlemen have 
in their possession a pair of these ancient arms 
handed down to them by their parents and grand- 
parents. They are used chiefly, at the present 
time, for decorative purposes, for their days of use- 
fulness are passed ; the modern revolver has super- 
seded them as arms of defence, and tke single-shot 
breech-loading pistol, possessing much greater ac- 
curacy, far more convenient to load, and more 
economical to use, has taken the place of the 
duelling pistol for target work, stage shooting, and 
exhibition work. The single-shot pistol is used 
almost wholly for short-range target practice, 
generally in-doors, at a distance from five to fifty 
yards, or for small-game shooting. Therefore, it 
is unusual to find at the present time these pistols 
larger in bore than .32-calibre, and generally in 



lO THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

.22 calibre. As the .22-calibre is perfectly accurate 
up to fifty yards, and our own experiments com- 
jDared with others lead us to believe the small 
calibre is fully as accurate as the larger, and be- 
yond a doubt that with good weather conditions 
the larger bore possesses no advantages over the 
small bore up to fifty yards in point of accuracy, 
and the fact that the cost of the .22-calibre ammu- 
nition is so much less, is more compact, allowing 
a large number of cartridges to be carried about, 
and the knowledge that the tiny bore can be shot so 
many times without cleaning, makes it the favorite 
calibre, in single-shot pistols, for target and small- 
game shooting within the distance named. 

Any shooting at a distance beyond fifty yards 
with a pistol is almost unheard of in America ; 
but it is believed that before long the experts who 
become so proficient with the pistol at this range 
will shoot at much longer distances, and we 
shall not be, surprised to see matches shot up 
to 200 yards, and, perhaps, at a longer distance, as 
the officers in the European armies practise up to 
400 paces and secure good results. When the 
shooting is done at long distances with a pistol, it 
will probably be with a single-shot arm of calibre 
from .32 to .40; but until then the calibres will 
probably be the .22 and .32. 

The Stevens single-shot pistols are deservedly 
very popular ; they are manufactured by the J. 
Stevens' Arms and Tool Co., at Chicopee Falls, 



12 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC, 

Mass. They are made in various styles, as fol- 
lows : — 

Conlin model, lo-inch barrel, .22-cal., weight, 
2}i pounds. Lord model, lo-inch barrel, .22 
cal., weight, 3 pounds. Diamond model, 10- inch 
barrel, .32'Cal., weight, 1 1 ounces. Also, the new 
6-inch barrel, .22-cal., Target pistol. 

The barrels are carefully bored and rifled and 
fitted into a steel frame in the Lord model, and 
composition of gun-metal in the Conlin and 
Diamond models. A spring is so arranged under 
the barrel that when a projecting stud on the 
side is pressed it releases a catch on the opposite 
side and the spring forces the rear part of the bar- 
rel up and the forward part down, this action act- 
ing on the shell-ejector, forcing out the shell of the 
exploded cartridge ; the pistol is then reloaded 
and barrel closed. The frame permits of barrels 
of different calibres being fitted into one action, in 
the Lord or Conlin model. There are several 
varieties of sights for these pistols to suit the dif- 
ferent demands. The triggers are the side-covered 
trigger in the smaller models, and the guard-cov- 
ered trigger in the Lord model. 

The Lord and Conlin models are very popular 
among professional and expert pistol-shots. They 
have been tested and found very reliable, and pos- 
sess a degree of accuracy unsurpassed by any arm 
of its kind in the world, if properly used. 

The Lord model is preferred by persons of 



14 THE MODERN xVMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

herculean frame or possessing great strength in 
their arms, it weighing 3 pounds. The Conhn . 
model is generally selected by those possessing 
less physical strength ; both pistols have handles 
of sufficient length to permit of their being grasped 
properly. 

The trigger on the Lord model is preferred by 
a majority of pistol-shots, and, to suit those desir- 
ing this style of a trigger in the Conlin model, the 
manufacturers liave commenced making them in 
that manner, and can now supply either style of 
triggers. 

The weight of the Lord model is in its favor, for 
those who can hold it secure an advantage in less 
liability to pull the pistol to one side or upwards 
when pressing the trigger, — an error one wdio uses 
a light pistol is quite liable to make. Such experts 
as Chevalier Ira Paine and Frank Lord, and even 
some of the gentler sex, who have astonished the 
shooting world by their seemingly impossible 
feats of marksmanship with the pistol, unhesitat- 
ingly select this heavy pistol, and declare it more 
reliable, for the reasons mentioned, than the lighter 
ones, and as some of the professional shooters 
perform hazardous feats when inaccuracies with 
the arm would peril the lives of those who as- 
sist them in their performances, it is likely that 
they have given the matter the fullest investiga- 
tion. But the person desiring to select a Stevens 
pistol for fine work should examine both models. 



1 6 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

and be governed by his own judgment in the 
matter. 

The other pistols made by this company are in- 
tended for pocket-pistols ; they are accurate and 
reliable, but being more compact, with shorter 
barrels and lighter, they are more difficult to shoot 
accurately than those fashioned after the shape of 




The New 6-inch Barrel Stevens Pistol. 

the duelling-pistol. One quickly becomes accus- 
tomed to their use, and, if fond of pistol-shooting, 
they are a source of great pleasure when carried 
on a fishing trip or on a tramp when small-game 
can be shot. 

A gentleman who makes an annual trip into 
the woods informed the writer that he never 
went without his Stevens pistol, and always killed 
considerable small-game for the table with it. 

The Remington single-action pistol is a much 
less elegant piece of workmanship than the 
Stevens pistol, but there are excellent points about 



1 8 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

the arm which will be apparent to the inspector 
as he examines it. It possesses great strength 
and wearing qualities, is accurate, and, although 
not particularly symmetrical, it is so well-balanced 
and has such an excellent handle, that, when 
grasped, there is a feeling of firmness and steadi- 
ness which is verified when the shooter attempts 
to sight it on a small object. The pistol is made 
in .22 and .32 calibres ; it has a barrel 8 inches 
long. The action is similar to the old-model 
Remington rifle. The hammer is brought to 
a full-cock, a breech block rolled back, which 
permits of the barrel, which is screwed into a 
solid frame, being inspected from the rear, and 
easy to be cleaned. All attempts to procure 
discharges from this arm with action improperly 
closed have been unsuccessful, and we can see 
no reason why it is not as safe as it is accurate. 
Its unusual strength would make it a desirable 
arm for long-range pistol-practice, as it would 
doubtless stand a much heavier charge than would 
ever be required for shooting at any range. 

The Wesson single-shot pistol is manufactured 
by Frank Wesson, at Worcester, Mass. It is 
operated as follows : the hammer is slightly raised 
and held by a pin pressed in from the side ; a 
projecting stud is pressed at the bottom of the re- 
ceiver, and the barrel turned over to one side, — 
the shell of the exploded cartridge thrown out by 
the extractor. The arm is well-balanced, fitted 
with good sights of different styles, and accurate. 



20 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

The Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing 
Co. manufactures three styles of single-shot Derin- 
gers, one of which is illustrated. To operate this 
arm set the hammer at half-cock, grasp the stock 
in the right hand and drawing back the steel button 
with the forefinger, rotate the barrel toward you 
with the left hand. Holding the barrel thus 
turned aside, introduce the cartridge and then 
rotate it to its original position. After firing, the 
empty shell may be ejected by rotating the barrel 
as directed for loading. 

The weight of the No. 2 is 10 oz., calibre .41. 
It is a powerful pistol, intended for a weapon of 
defence at short rans^e. 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 2 1 



CHAPTER III. 

AMERICAN REVOLVERS SMITH & WESSON's PRO- 
DUCTIONS. 

The armory of Messrs. Smith & Wesson is 
located at Springfield, Mass., and is said to be 
the most complete establishment for the manufoct- 
ure of revolvers in the world. The work produced 
at this armory has a world-wide reputation, and 
their products are sent to nearly every country on 
the globe. The revolvers are beautifully made, as 
perfect as It seems possible to construct them ; they 
have a perfect contour, are symmetrical, well 
balanced, and possess great accuracy. The arm 
was formerly constructed in calibres from .22 to .45 ; 
but, a few years ago, this firm discontinued making 
the .22 calibre. Formerly the .22 and .32 calibres 
were opened by pressing a clutch under the action, 
and the barrel and cylinder were pushed upwards ; 
the cylinder was then removed, and the shell ex- 
tracted from the cylinder by a fixed post. Later 
the invention of the automatic shell-ejector was 
added, and the revolver opened by a clasp, the 
barrel and cylinders tip downward, the action at 
the same time ejecting the shells. All of the 
revolvers now made at the factory of Smith & 
Wesson are after this model, and are known as 
follows : — 



22 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

New Model Army, No. 3 : weight, 2)^ pounds ; 
central fire ; calibre .44 ; six shot ; length of barrel, 
6^ inches. 

New Model Navy, No. 3 : double action, central 
fire ; calibre .44 ; six shot ; weight, 23/^g pounds ; 
length of barrel, 4, 5 and 6 inches. 

New Model 38, No. 2: weight, 16 ounces; 
central fire ; calibre .38 ; ^\q shot ; length of 
barrel, 3^, ^, and 5 inches. 

New Model 38, No. 2 : double action ; central 
fire; calibre .38; five shot; weight, 18 ounces; 
length of barrel, 3^^, 4, and 5 inches. 

New Model 32, No. ij^ : weight, 12^^ ounces ; 
central fire; calibre .32; five shot; length of 
barrel, 3 and 3^^ inches. 

New Model 32, No. i^ : double action ; central 
fire; calibre .32; ^\^ shot; weight, 14 ounces; 
length of barrel, 3 and 3^ inches. 

New Model Hammerless Safety Revolver ; cen- 
tral fire ; calibres .32, .38 and .44 ; weight, in. 38 
calibre, i8j^ oz. ; with barrels of different lengths. 

New Target Revolver : single action ; central 
fire ; calibre .32 ; six shots ; weight, 2^-/16 pounds ; 
length of barrel, 6^ inches. 

Probably the chief reason why the products of 
Smith & Wesson are so excellent, is because, since 
1859, this firm has been engaged exclusively in the 
manufacture of revolvers. They endeavored to 
procure and construct the most complete and per- 
fect machlnerv for the manufacture of their re- 



24 THE xMODERX AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

volvers ; and, by the system of inspection of parts 
adopted by this firm, the slightest imperfection in 
material and workmanship may be detected, and, 
when discovered, is instantly condemned. 

The barrels, cylinders, and all the small parts, 
are made of the best quality of cast-steel, and the 
framework of Bessemer steel, made at Troy, N.Y. 

We have closely w^atched the impressions made 
upon some of the most skilful mechanics in 
America wdien a Smith & Wesson revolver was 
submitted for their inspection, and these severest 
of critics would invariably seem to revel in the 
pleasure they experienced in seeing such a perfect 
piece of mechanical work, and unhesitatingly 
. commended the workmanship in the highest terms. 
One famous maker of hand-made duelling-pistols 
in France, spent days in examining the Smith & 
Wesson, Russian Model Army pistol, using a 
magnifying-glass for the purpose of putting on the 
finest possible finish in the mechanism, in order to 
gain an absolute perfect working of the parts 
He pronounced it the finest work he had ever 
seen made by machinery. 

One of the noticeable points of excellence in 
the Smith & Wesson revolvers, insured by the 
perfection of the parts, is the jDcrfect revolution 
of the cylinder, which brings the chamber exactly 
opposite the barrel when the revolver is cocked, 
it being absolutely necessary that the cylinder be 
opposite the barrel at the moment of the discharge 



26 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

of the weapon to secure accurate results at a good 
distance. We have fired shots from revolvers 
well known to the trade where the cylinder did 
not bring the chambers exactly opposite the barrel, 
and found one side of the bullet shaved or scraped 
off, which we believe the reader will see is likely 
to impair the shooting of the arm. This fault is 
not found in the Smith & Wesson revolver. 

The arm is operated as follows : Holding the 
revolver by the handle in the right hand, lift the 
barrel-catch with the left thumb and forefinger. 
When the barrel-catch is clear of the barrel the 
cylinder tips downward, when the cartridges are 
placed in the chambers the barrel is then swung 
back into position, when the barrel-catch locks the 
parts together, the hammer cocked, the arm dis- 
charged, then opened as before described, the barrel 
brought down to a certain point, which acts auto- 
matically, and ejects the shells. 

The .32- and .38 calibre revolvers manufactured 
by this firm are chiefly used for pocket weapons ; 
but some are manufactured with barrels six inches 
in length, which make excellent target-pistols for 
25 or 50 yards' shooting. As revolver-shooting is 
becoming so popular in America, probably a more 
intelligent study of this arm is now being made 
by marksmen then ever before ; and, while the 
advantages of a solid-framed revolver with a 
fixed barrel are admitted for certain uses, it 
seems to be generally admitted that, for fine 



28 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

work, where accuracy is the chief object, no 
revolver is equal to one which permits of an 
inspection of the inside of the barrel. Any 
revolver which takes a cartridge of sufficient 
power to make it a suitable weapon of defence will 
foul, with the present ammunition in use, to such 
an extent as to impair its accuracy after a dozen 
shots, and many individuals believe with a less 
number. It is therefore the custom of all the 
best revolver-shots the writer has ever met, when 
using full charges, and wishing to do fine work, 
to clean the inside of the bari'el as often as every 
ten shots ; and, from thedifficulty often experienced 
in removing the adamanthie-like crust which ad- 
heres to the inside of the barrel, we believe we 
are correct in asserting that a majority of revolver- 
shooters, when they are fully aware of the neces- 
sity for keeping the barrel clean, will select a 
revolver wdiich permits of the cleaning-brush 
being passed through the barrel from the breach 
end, and thorough inspection of the barrel, which 
can be done so readily and satisfactorily in the 
Smith & Wesson revolver. It would seem from 
the fact that nearly every manufacturer of the 
cheaper grades of revolvers, manufactured in such 
enormous quantities for the masses, have imitated 
the action of Smith & Wesson, which seems to 
show^ that this principle is most in demand by the 
trade. 

Revolvers with a barrel of five inches, or 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 29 

less, in length are generally classed as pocket 
revolvers, and those of the Smith & Wesson make 
are accin*ate up to twenty yards ; doubtless good 
shooting can be done at a longer distance, depend- 
ing entirely upon what the shooter would call fine 
work; but, as one or two additional inches in 
length make the arm capable of doing so much 
finer work, that most revolver-shooters readily per- 
ceive the difference, and, waiving the convenience 
of a revolver with a five-inch barrel, which can be 
carried in the pocket, they select one with a barrel 
not less than six inches, and as the distance of out- 
of-door revolver-shooting, in America, is from 25 
to 50 yards, they have a weapon capable of great 
accuracy at these distances. 

The old American model Smith & Wesson 
revolver was formerly a great favorite with many 
who knew what weapon to select to do good work 
with. Many are in use to-day, and highly valued 
as a very accurate weapon ; but this model has 
been superseded by a new model army revolver, 
wdiich is generally known as the .44-cal. Russian 
model, the name being given on account of the 
Russian government purchasing 150,000 of this 
model for her cavalry. This model seems to 
grow in popularity each year, and many of the 
best revolver-shots in America have selected it as 
their choice of weapons. Some time ago when 
Chevalier Ira Paine, the expert pistol-shot, decided 
to introduce revolver-shooting as one of the 



30 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

attractions of his exhibitions, he consulted Gastine 
Renette, the famous pistol-manufacturer of 
France, as to the best weapon for his purpose. 
Their object was to find the most accurate revolver 
which would shoot a light charge at short range, 
in-doors, avoiding noise and smoke, and a charge 
po^verful enough to do accurate si looting up to 
fifty 3'ards or more, and be powerful enough to 
be an army pistol. These two experts spent a 
great amount of time in this work, firing thousands 
of shots from a rest, from a vise, and off-hand. 
Among other things they learned was what the 
writer found, that, with revolvers of some make, 
the cylinder not running exactly opposite the 
barrel, the accuracy was affected ; but in all 
their experiments none came so near perfection as 
the .44-cal., Russian model. Smith & Wesson 
revolver, and Chevalier Paine uses that revolver 
exclusively in his stage work, using a light charge 
and round ball, and in his out-door shooting the 
regular charge, alwa3's the factor}^ ammunition. 

As there are man}^ who wish for a light charge 
for target- work, but recognize that the 6-inch 
barrel is necessar\\ as well as a handle of proper 
size to grasp, the manufacturers have produced a 
.32-calibre in this model, which is becoming very 
popular, for it is veiy accurate, and has excellent 
sights for fine \\'ork. Among those who select 
the Smith & Wesson revolver there are a majority 
who choose the Russian model, a portion select- 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 3 I 

ing the .32-calibre and many the .44-calibre ; 
those who choose the .44 desiring to shoot a 
weapon which is both powerful and accurate, and 
the Russian model possesses both of these points. 
In testing this model .44-calibre for accuracy at a 
distance of fifty yards, taking six shots for a test, 
this being the number of chambers in the cylin- 
der, the testers have repeatedly, when shooting the 
arm with a rest, placed the six shots in a three-inch 
circle at fifty yards. 

A new departure in revolvers is made in the 
Smith & Wesson Hammerless, Safety Revolver, 
which has recently been put on the market, and 
possesses many points of originality and excel- 
lence. The inventor of this novel mechanism is 
Mr. D. B. Wesson, who has previously contrib- 
uted so much towards developing the American 
revolver. 

A hammerless revolver, a short time ago, would 
have been considered an unsafe weapon. In this 
new revolver w^ill be found less liability to ac- 
cidental discharge than in any weapon of this 
class we have ever Inspected, this being one of 
the chief objects kept in mind while the inventor 
developed his mechanism. 

A large proportion of the accidents which occur 
with revolvers arise from carelessly manipulating 
the hammer or trigger, or from leaving the weap- 
on full-cocked for some child or novice to find 
and accidentally discharge. The pulls on differ- 



32 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

ent revolvers vary to such an extent that when a 
strange revolver with an outside hammer is in the 
hands of an expert even an accidental discharge is 
liable to occur ; this is avoided in the new ham- 
merless revolver. 

In addition to the visible hammer being the 
cause of many accidents is the constant annoyance 
caused by its projecting and interfering with 
quickly drawing the weapon from the pocket or 
holster. The weapon described is for the use of 
the soldier, the police officer, or for those called 
upon to use this weapon of defence rapidly and 
effectively ; hence a self-acting or self-cocking re- 
volver is necessary, and by dispensing with the 
projecting outside hammer the rapidity of action 
in drawing the weapon is increased, and therefore 
a very desirable point is gained. 

The illustration show^s the mechanism of the 
new arm : — 

A is the safety lever, B safety-latch, C ham- 
mer, D trigger, F main-sjDring, G safety-latch 
spring. The hammer C, which is acted upon and 
raised by the trigger D, as in their self-cocking 
arms, is kept constantly locked by the safety-latch 
B, which is held in position by the safety-latch 
spring G. The point is emphasized, that when 
not in use the arm cannot be discharged, as will 
be seen from the arrangement of the parts. When 
held in the hand for firing, the natural pressure 
exerted by the hand in the movement of pulling 



34 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

the trigger upon the safety-lever A causes it to act 
upon the safety-latch B, raising it and releasing 
the hammer. 

It will be observed that it is among the impossi- 
bilities to cock and discharge this revolver when 
held in an improper manner, as a child or novice 
would be likely to do. 

The arrangement of the mechanism is such that 
the safety catch and trigger must act in unison, 
and it is necessary that an amount of grasp and 
strength, not possessed by a child, be applied in 
order to discharge the weapon. 

By those familiar with revolvers the question 
will naturally arise, With all these advantages can 
you secure accuracy? We confess we were 
among the disbelievers that great accuracy could 
be secured with a self-cocking revolver, and even 
now if we were to confine our shooting to target 
and game shooting would give preference to the 
other revolvers made by this firm ; but for a self- 
cocking revolver this weapon possesses, besides 
the elements of safety and rapidity of manipula- 
tion, the important feature of accuracy. We 
were full of doubts of our ability to secure accu- 
rate shooting, or to observe it in others ; but a 
trial has fully convinced us that with practice one 
could nearly, if not quite, equal their perform- 
ances with a single-action revolver. 

One soon familiarizes himself w^ith the opera- 
tions of this weapon. Pressure is applied to the 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 35 

trigger, aild the approach to the point where the 
hist ounce of pressure discharges the weapon is 
easily detected ; previous to the last ounce of press- 
ure being given, a careful aim is taken, the final 
pressure applied, and the weapon discharged. 



36 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE MERWIN, HULBERT, & CO.'s REVOLVERS. 

The Merwin, Hulbert, & Co.'s Automatic re- 
volver is manufactured at Norwich, Conn. The 
mechanism of this arm is entirely different from 
any other make of American revolvers. It is well 
constructed, the parts being made with great care 
and with a nicety of fitting which is highly credit- 
able to the manufacturers. The material from 
which they are constructed is forged steel. 

The mode of operating the arm is as fol- 
lows : — 

To Load. — Place the hammer at half-cock, 
press the loading gate downward, and insert the 
cartridges. 

To Eject the Shells. — Take the revolver 
in the right hand, place the left hand on the bar- 
rel with the thumb on the button under the 
frame, push the button toward the guard, turn 
the barrel outward and draw forward, when the 
shells will fall out. 

To Take the Arm Apart. — When the bar- 
rel and cylinder are drawn forward, as above de- 
scribed, press the barrel-catch down and draw 
forward. No screw-driver is needed to take the 
arm apart or interchange the barrels. 



38 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

There are a number of different models manu- 
factured with and without the folding hammer. 
In .32, .38, and .44 calibre there are barrels from 
3 inches to 53^ inches in length, with five and seven 
chambers, with the regular hammer, the .38 and 
.44 calibre. This firm also makes a solid frame 
revolver of cheajD grade. 

In inspecting the revolvers made by this firm, 
there will be found a number which are not ad- 
apted to fine shooting, but would be classed as 
short-range weajDons of defence, or pocket-revol- 
vers. Those with the 31^-inch barrels would 
never be selected by the person desiring accuracy 
at any distance beyond a few yards. But the .32 
and .38 calibres, with a 5)^-inch barrel, are con- 
sidered by many as very hne shooting weapons. 
Cuts 3 and 4 .32 target revolvers, with extra 
barrel for converting into a pocket- revolver. 

It is evident that Mer win, Hulbert, & Co. 's action 
possesses greater strength than most of the revolver- 
actions on the market. It also permits of being 
taken apart with ease and desj^atch, which enables 
the user to clean the barrel and cylinder in the 
most thorough manner, as it is known by all 
who have shot revolvers for fine results that this 
operation is absolutely necessary, with the present 
ammunition on the market, to secure fine work. 

After cleaning, the arm can be quickly as- 
sembled ; more so. it is thought, than any Ameri- 
can revolver. It can be loaded very quickly by 



40 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

pressing the button under the frame towards the 
guard, turning the barrel outward, and drawing 
forward, when the shell falls out, the action rapidly 
closed, the gate pushed downward, and fresh car- 
tridges inserted. The rapidity of operation of this 
arm can hardly be credited until one witnesses 
the revolver manipulated by a person familiar 
with its operation. 

A very noticeable point about this weapon is 
the ability to combine a target-revolver with a 
pocket-revolver, as ^vith a number of the models 
two barrels are supplied: one 5^ -in. and the 
other 3 or 3^1/^-in. barrel. 

The .32 and .38 calibre revolvers with 5J^- 
in. barrels and folding hammer are nicely balanced 
arms, and when properly sighted are capable of 
doing fine work ; but, unfortunately , they are double 
action, and while this feature may be a desirable 
point in revolvers for defence, for target-practice, 
or fine shooting, it is a detriment rather than an 
advantage ; but this firm also makes a single action 
with a regular hammer in .38 calibre, in which the 
trigger-pull can be brought to a state of smooth- 
ness and firmness which, if the arm is handled 
by a good shot, will show excellent work. 

The Army revolver is made in single and double 
action, with and without the folding hammer. 
Most of the arm.y models are chambered to take 
the Winchester rifle cartridge, .44 calibre, holding 
40 grains of pow^der and 200 grains of lead, al- 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 4 1 

though a special cartridge, specially prepared for 
the Mexican trade, is supplied. 

Each American revolver described in this paper 
has special points of excellence which commend 
themselves to the investigator, and are appre- 
ciated by revolver-shooters ; and there are a num- 
ber of excellent features in the Merwin, Hulbert, 
& Co.'s revolver not found in other arms, whicli 
make it, in many cases, the favorite revolver of 
fine marksmen. 

The Merw^in, Hulbert, & Co.'s revolver has been 
thoroughly tested by the Government Ordnance 
Board, which reports as follows on its tests of a six- 
shot, .42-calibre, 7-inch barrel revolver, weight, 2 
pounds 11^ ounces, using a charge of 23 grains 
of powder and a 25 2 -grain bullet : — 

Regular Tests. — One round was fired from 
each chamber by the exhibitor. The revolver 
worked satisfactorily. 

Dismounting and Assembling. — The time 
required to completely dismount the revolver was 
8 minutes 15 seconds, and that for assembling, 14 
minutes. 

Initial Velocities. — Ten shots were fired, 
and the initial velocities determined by the Bou- 
lenge chronograph : Extreme variation, 77 ; mean, 
20. '3. 

Penetration and Recoil. — Mean of five 
shots : Penetration, 45 ; recoil, 74. 

Tests for Accuracy. — Ten rounds were 



42 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

fired for accuracy, at 25 yards, and also at 100 
yards. A fixed rest was used. The results were 
as follows for ten shots : Mean horizontal devia- 
tion, 2."() ; mean vertical deviation, ^J'2 ; mean 
absolute deviation, 5.'^!. 

Rapidity of Loading and Ejecting. — Time 
required to fire 18 shots, commencing and ending 
with chambers empty : i minute 45 seconds. 

Endurance. — Two hundred and fifty rounds 
were fired, the revolver working without difficulty 
throughout. It was allowed five minutes to cool 
after each 50 rounds. 

Fouling. — The revolver remained uncleaned 
forty-eight hours, after which it was fired 50 
rounds. It was allowed five minutes to cool after 
the 1 2th, 24th, and 36th rounds. Though badly 
fouled at the rear of the cylinder, by the escape of 
gas at the primer (the ammunition being outside 
priming) the arm worked satisfactorily. 

Dusting Test. — The revolver was next 
cleaned and thoroughly dusted with fine sand. 
It was then wiped off' with the hands alone. 
Twelve rounds were fired. The revolver was 
then dusted as before, to ascertain the combined 
effects of dusting and fouling. Six rounds were 
fired. The revolver worked freely throughout. 

Rusting Test. — The revolver was cleaned — 
all oil being carefully removed — and dipped for 
ten minutes in a solution of sal-ammoniac, after 
which it was exposed in the open air for forty- 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 43 

eight hours. At the expiration of this time it was 
considerably rusted, but still operated quite 
freely. It was fired 12 rounds, loaded without 
cleaning, and again immersed for ten minutes in 
the sal-ammoniac solution. It was then exposed 
in the open air for another period of forty-eight 
hours. 

In order to prevent the rusting of the rifling, 
both ends of the barrel were closed with cork, 
and in the first dipping the cylinder chambers 
were protected in a similar manner. 

At the end of the prescribed time the revolver 
was found very badly rusted. The rust was so 
thick on the sides of the hammer that it could not 
be cocked without the rust first being scraped ofl' 
with a screw-driver. The trigger was rusted in 
a similar manner, and had to be scraped and 
forced back and forth in order to operate it. The 
locking-bolt slide was rusted so that it could not be 
started by hand. It was driven back by tapping 
on the thum.b-screw with a hammer. The barrel 
was then partly turned to the left by hand, but the 
base-pin was so much rusted that the barrel had 
to be secured in a vise in order to complete the 
turning and draw it to the front along the pin. 

About twenty minutes were consumed in get- 
ting the pistol in condition to fire the remaining 
rounds required by the prescribed test. 

Considering how badly the pistol was rusted, 
it worked very satisfactorily. 



44 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

The claims made for this revolver by the ex- 
hibitors are : — 

1. Beauty of outline. 

2. No salient points which will prevent its 
ready insertion in the holster. 

3. Non-liability to tear the hands, since nearly 
all surfaces are neatly rounded. Cleaning is also 
facilitated by the smooth surfaces. 

4. The fluting on the cylinder do not run out at 
the front, thus increasing the strength and neatness 
of the whole. 

5. Safety, owning to the fact that the locking- 
device cannot be opened, permitting of dismount- 
ing the barrel without the piece being at half- 
cock. If the piece be not at half-cock, the cylin- 
der and barrel cannot be assembled to the frame. 

6. Front sight solid wath the barrel. 

7. The extractor-ring prevents the interior of 
the lock and the ratchet from fouling by escape of 
gas about the primer w^hen using outside primed 
ammunition. 

8. The hood on the front of the cylinder, 
about the base-pin hole, prevents fouling of base- 
pin. 

9. The recoil-plate protects the head of the 
cartridge from exposure or abrasion ; it also pre- 
vents sand, etc., getting in between the cylinder 
and recoil-plate, checking-rotation. 

10. The cylinder and barrel can be dismounted 
without the use of a screw-driver. 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 45 

Other claims, since made, are appended, marked 
" B." It is not thought that they require special 
comment. 

This Board assents generally to claims i, 2, 3, 
6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. No particular advantage is 
thought to be found in the 4th ; and the 5th, so far 
from being advantageous, is regarded as unneces- 
sary and hurtful, hampering one, as it does, in the 
use of the pistol. 

On the whole, the Board regards this as a very 
good pistol, it having endured the tests in a fairly 
satisfactory manner. It should be bored up to 
cal. .45, in order that it may use service ammuni- 
tion, when it may be more intelligently compared 
with other arms now^ in service. 

Stocks of walnut and hard rubber were furnished 
with this pistol. The rubber appears to be fully 
equal, if not superior, to the w^alnut in hardness 
and tenacity. To ascertain the effect of heat, it 
was placed in a covered tin cup, w4iich w^as in 
turn placed in a vessel of w^ater slowly heated to 
150°. The rubber did not soften in the slightest 
degree. It w^as then placed between two blocks 
of ice until thoroughly chilled, when it was 
repeatedly struck with a hammer. It was not at 
all brittle. The rubber admits of a very neat 
finish. 



40 THE MODERN AMERICAN 



CHAPTER V. 

THE colt's revolver. 

The armory of the Colt's Patent Fire-Arms 
Manufacturing Company ij^ located at Hartford, 
Conn., and here are manufactured the famous 
Colt's revolvers, so favorably known throughout 
the world. Samuel Colt, the inventor of the 
Colt's revolver, commenced devising the mechan- 
ism of this arm as early as 1S30. and the result 
of his ingenuity and skill is the large plant at 
Hartlbrd, where the Colt's revolver has been 
manufactured in enormous quantities for half a 
century, during which time improvements have 
been made ; and the popularity which the Colt's 
revolver has secured is attested by the enormous 
sales in all parts of the world. The variety of 
revolvers made by this company are as fol- 
lows : — 

New ^lodel Army, single action ; length of 
pistol, I2j4 inches: length of barrel, 7^3 inches: 
bore or calibre, .45 inch: weight, 2 lbs. 5 oz. 
Rifling, six grooves, one revolution in 16 inches : 
depth of groove, .005 inch. Six-shot. 

Cartridge. — Weight of powder, 30 grains: 
weight of lead, 250 grains. Central fire, external 
priming. 

New Model Armv, double action : lenorth of 



VISTOL AM; I<K\'OIA^ER. 47 

pistol, I2j^ inches; Icnrjth of barrel, 7^ inches; 
wei^^ht of pistol with 7J/^-inch barrel, 2 lbs. 7 oz. ; 
calibre, .45 inch ; six-shot. Made with barrels of 
any length, and for the U.wS. regulation cartridge, 
or the .44-calibre magazine rifle-cartridge. Re- 
volvers taking the latter cartridge are known as 
the Frontier model. 

New Model, .41, doul^le-action weight; central 
fire ; calibre, .41 ; six-shot. Length of Ijarrels, 
4J/^ , 5, and 6 inches. 

New Model, .38, double action ; central fire ; 
calibre, .38 ; six-shot. Length of barrels, 2}^ , 3^/^ , 
6, and 7 inches. 

New Police, .38, single action ; central fire ; 
calibre, .38; six-shot. Length of barrels, 4)^, 5, 
and 6 inches. 

New target-revolver, in .38 and .32 calibre, made 
in the Army model frame. 

Pocket-re\(jlvers, in calibres .22, .30, .32, .38, 
and .41, with 2-inch barrels. 

The above models, we believe, represent the 
various models made at the Colt's armory at the 
time of writing, but there will be found in use 
many Colt's revolvers made up differently than 
those mentioned. There are thousands of the old 
model Army and Navy revolvers in existence to-day 
which load at the muzzle of the cylinder, also the 
.38 calibre. Many of these have been altered to 
breech-loaders, to shoot the central-fire cartridges, 
and are accurate and fine shooting arms. There 



48 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

are also in use, in the old and new models, Colt's 
revolvers with various lengths of barrels and odd 
calibres, to suit the whims and fancies of individ- 
uals requiring a revolver for a particular kind of 
work; revolvers in single action of various 
calibres, w^ithout a trigger, and fired by drawing 
back the hammer with the thumb, and releasing 
it as well as by pressing back the hammer with 
the left hand, and releasing it with the object of 
discharging the arm more rapidly than it could by 
checking the revolver ; Army and Frontier models 
with very short barrels, for parties desiring the 
most powerful revolver made in the most com- 
pact form, suitable for short range only, and sacri- 
ficing accuracy. These special revolvers w^ill be 
referred to later under another department, and 
the present chapter devoted to the standard 
models of the Colt's revolver manufactured to-day. 
The Colt's revolvers differ from those previously 
described in the following points, viz. : — 

The hand, or finger, or pawl, which revolves 
the cylinder, has tw^o points, one above the other. 
The upper engages the ratchet of the cylinder 
when the revolution begins. But before the 
necessary sixth of a revolution could be made, as 
the pawl moves in a plane, and the ratchet tooth 
in the arc of a circle whose plane is perpendicular 
to the pawl's plane of motion, the pawl would lose 
its hold on the tooth, and the revolution of the 
cylinder would stop. To prevent this, the second 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 49 

point is added, and just as the first point will dis- 
engage from the ratchet, the second or lower 
point engages another tooth of the ratchet and 
completes the revolution. By this arrangement 
the pawl actuates a larger ratchet than it could 
otherwise, and therefore exerts more force upon 
the cylinder, by acting upon a longer lever-arm. 
This permits a smaller-sized cylinder for the same 
diameter of ratchet. 

The cylinder has a bushing, which projects in 
front of it, and gives three surfaces upon which 
the cylinder revolves, thus diminishing the chance 
of sticking from dirt or rust, and also giving a very 
small axis upon which to revolve, decreasing the 
moment of friction. 

When the ejector is used it springs back to its 
place and is ready for use again, avoiding the 
necessity of putting it back. 

To TAKE APART THE REVOLVER. — Half-COCk 

the revolver, loosen the catch-screw which holds 
the centre-pin, draw out the centre-pin, open the 
gate, and the cylinder can then be withdrawn. 

To remove the ejector, turn out the ejector tube 
screw, then push the front end away from the 
barrel and pull it towards the muzzle. The 
barrel can then be unscrewed. 

The stock can be removed by turning out the 
two screws just behind the hammer, and that at 
the bottom, of the strap. All the parts of the lock 
are then displayed, and can be readily separated. 



50 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

The cylinder bushing should be pushed out for 
cleaning. 

To remove the gate, turn out a screw in the 
lower side of the frame (hidden by the trigger- 
guard), then the gate-spring and catch can be 
withdrawn, and the gate can be pushed out. 
The best sperm-oil should be used for oiling the 
parts. 

To Load the Arm. — ist motion : holding the 
revolver in the left hand, muzzle downwards, 
half-cock it with the right hand and open the 
gate. 2d motion : insert the cartridges in succes- 
sion with the right hand, close the gate, cock and 
fire it (taking it in the right hand), or bring the 
hammer to the safety-notch, as may be desired. 

To Eject the Cartridge Shells. — ist 
motion : holding the arm in the left hand, half- 
cock with the right hand and open the gate. 2d 
motion : eject the shells in succession with the 
ejector pushed by the right hand, moving the cyl- 
inder with the thumb and forefinger of the left 
hand. When the shells have been ejected, the 
pistol is ready for the 2d m.otion of loading. 

There are three notches in the hammer of this 
arm. The first is the safety-notch, the second is 
the half-cock notch, and the third is the cock- 
notch. The pistol cannot be fired when the ham- 
mer rests in the safety-notch or half-cock notch, 
and can be fired by pulling the trigger when the 
hammer rests in the cock-notch. The pistol 



52 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

should be carried habitually with the hammer 
resting in the safety-notch. 

There will always be a class of revolver-shoot- 
ers who will prefer an arm with a solid frame. 
These persons wnll unhesitatingly select the Colt's 
revolver. The strength of this arm is undoubted, 
and it is believed that an unbiassed judge would 
award the claim of superiority in standing rough 
usage to the Colt's revolver. The author has de- 
voted much time to testing the Smith & Wesson, 
the Merwin, Hulbert, & Co., and the Colt's re- 
volvers, and has for several years corresponded 
with experts, and observed the shooting and so- 
licited the opinion of persons who have had ex- 
tensive experience with these arms. A careful 
summarizing the opinions shows that a majority 
of revolver experts believe that the Colt's revolver is 
not made with such delicacy of parts as the other 
arms mentioned ; but it is evident that this very 
want of delicacy of the parts is much in favor of its 
adoption by those desiring a revolver powerful, 
accurate, and less affected by exposure to the ele- 
ments, neglect of care after using, and requiring less 
attention while using. It is believed that more 
shots can be fired from the Colt's revolver without 
cleaning, and have it work wxll, than any other 
revolver of American make ; and it certainly can 
more than the other two makes, judging from our 
own experience. But with the cleaning found 
necessary to secure accuracy even with this arm, 



COLT'S FRONTIER MODEL AND ARMY, DOUBLE 
ACTION. 



COLT'S FRONTIER OR ARMY MODEL, SINGLE ACTION. 



54 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

it seems to require less cleaning than other revolv- 
ers ; and accurate shooting has been secured re- 
peatedly, even after firing a hundred shots, by- 
si mply swabbing out the barrel w^ith a brush or 
cleaning- rod w^ith a cloth draw^n through a slot, 
and w^ithout removing the cylinder, w^hich worked 
well after firing two hundred shots. The com- 
bined points of the solid frame and the arm being 
unafTected, so far as operating it is concerned, by 
neglecting to clean it while using or afterwards, 
has made the Colt's revolver the chosen arm of 
many frontiersmen, and, doubtless, has influenced 
the members of the Government Ordnance Board 
to favor this arm. 

It is doubtless true that if several battalions of 
cavalry were armed with the revolvers of different 
make, the one equipped with the Colt's revolver 
would find less disabled arms, after a rough cam- 
paign, than those armed with other American 
revolvers. 

The Army .45 calibre and Frontier model .z|4 
calibre are identical in the model, the difference 
being in the calibre and chambering. The U.S. 
Government .45-calibre straight cartridge is 
loaded with 30 grains of powder and a 250- 
grain bullet. The .44-calibre Frontier model 
takes a magazine rifle-cartridge holding 40 grains 
of powder and a 200-grain bullet. Both these 
cartridges are powerful and accurate. There is 
an apparent diflerence in the recoil, it being less 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 55 

in the .44-calibre rifle-cartridges, the 50 grains 
more of lead in the .45-calibre Government car- 
tridge being noticeable by the increased recoil. 
In a number of tests made with these two car- 
tridges the best results w^ere generally secured 
with the .44-calibre rifle-cartridge, taking six 
shots for a standard, it being the number of 
chambers in these revolvers. It was not difficult 
to place the six shots in a 5-inch circle at a dis- 
tance of fifty yards, and often a 4-inch circle, 
•and occasionally, with the .44-calibre 40-200 
cartridge, a 3-inch circle would touch or enclose 
all of the shots. 

The .4i-.38-calibre revolvers of this company's 
make are very accurate and reliable arms, the 
.38-calibre, w^ith 6 and 7 hich barrels, are 
chosen by persons desiring an accurate, quite 
powerful, and pleasant shooting weapon. The 
.38 calibre with the 6 and 7 inch barrels are very 
accurate up to 50 yards ; the recoil is light and not 
unpleasant. The charge is less powerful than the 
.44 and .45, but about as heavy as is possible in an 
arm of the size and weight, and retains a satisfac- 
tory degree of accuracy. It is not difficult in 
shooting with a rest to place six shots within a 
3-inch circle at 50 yards ; and this feat has been 
accomplished in oft'-hand shooting with a .38- 
calibre Colt's revolver with a 7-inch barrel. 

The .33, .30, and .23 calibre Colt's revolvers are 
intended for pocket-revolvers, and for short-range 
w^eapons unreliable beyond a few yards. 



56 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

CHAPTER VI. 

SIGHTS FOR REVOLVERS AND PISTOLS. 

Nearly all revolvers and pistols have sights 
affixed to the barrels, which are very properly 
supposed by purchasers to aid them in hitting the 
object at w^hich they shoot. In many cases the 
sights w^hich the manufacturers place on their 
pistols and revolvers are very little, if any, aid 
to the shooter. Persons unfamiliar with these fire- 
arms, when they test a new pistol or revolver, 
generally commence by aiming at the object de- 
sired to hit, and if their holding is good they are 
likely to find the shots grouped quite a distance 
above the object aimed at. The heavier the 
charge and lighter the arm the greater the flip or 
kick-up. The shooter, vvhen he observes this 
result, generally corrects the fault by holding 
under the object, and some wonderfully good 
shooting has been done by aiming eighteen or 
twenty inches under the object. It is, however, 
apparent that in most cases, where good as w^ell 
as regular results have been obtained by this mode 
of sighting, it has been at a regular distance and 
where some object is found at the proper distance 
below the object desired to hit to enable the marks- 
man to sight at each time. 

When Chevalier Ira Paine gave his first exhi- 
bition of revolver-shooting at 50 yards at the range 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 57 

of the Massachusetts Rifle Association, on firing 
a few sighting-shots before commencing his one 
hundred shots, he found that his elegant .44-calibre 
Russian model. Smith & Wesson, revolver, which 
was perfectly sighted for about twelve yards when 
using the light loads and round-ball shot in his 
exhibitions, with the heavy or full charge, shot 
eighteen inches over the bull's-eye. He im- 
mediately asked permission to place a spot at this 
distance below the bull's-eye, which was given ; 
but as he had only a few sighting-shots to judge 
the difference in the elevation between the two 
cartridges, he did not make what he proved he 
was capable of doing at a second exhibition, when 
he had the same revolver he used at the first trial, 
but with a different sight, which permitted him 
to aim directly at the bull's-eye. 

It is generally believed that the manufacturers 
of revolvers never supposed the fine work which 
is being done with their arms at the present time 
was in the weapon, and the arms wxre intended 
for quick and deadly work at short range, and for 
this reason but little attention has been paid to 
perfecting sights. 

Having witnessed considerable revolver-shoot- 
ing, and not a little in a section of this country 
where the arm was carried for protection, and 
after many practice shoots to almost invariably 
hear the shooters remark, ''Any one of these 
shots would have hit a man," the writer formed 



58 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

the impression that the majority of persons who 
carried revolvers were content with an arm 
which, when fired, would hit the size of a man. 
On the supposition that this Is the case, it is not 
strange that so Httle has been done to improve 
the accuracy of the revolver by correctly sighting 
it. The sights which come on the most popular 
revolvers of to-day are arranged, so far as the 
height is concerned which affects the elevation, 
in such a manner that they shoot over from 
six to thirty inches when fired from twenty to 
sixty yards. If the charge is reduced consider- 
ably, the sights which come on the revolver can 
be used in aiming directly at the object desired 
to hit; but with a full, heavy charge the over- 
shooting mentioned is experienced. 

The accompanying illustrations show, approxi- 
mately, the difference required in shooting a 
Smith & Wesson Russian model ,44-calibre revol- 
ver with a light and 
heavy or full charge. 
Fig. I shows the 
target-sight which is 
attached to this re- 
volver when pur- 
chased. If a sight 
of this height is used 
with the full charge 
at 50 yards, and a 
sight taken on the bulFs-eye at 6 o'clock, if held 




Fig. I. 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 



59 



properly, the bullet will strike about i8 inches 
over the bull's-eye. The same result will be ex- 
perienced with the plain open-sight which comes 
on this favorite arm, as wxll as most of the other 
revolvers of American make, of large calibre. If, 
however, the shooter desires to use a light charge 
of ten to fifteen grains of powder, he will find 
this sight approximately correct in regard to 
height. As many of the finest shots prefer to use 
the full charge, desiring to practise with a practi- 
cal charge, such as they would use in warfare or 
defence, and knowing that, if properly held, it 
will give fine results, they procure another sight, 
similar in shape, but 
higher, as shown in 
Fig. 2. This addi- 
tional height de- 
presses the muzzle 
of the barrel, and 
counteracts the flip 
or kick-up, and the 
shooter can sight 
directly at the bull's- Fig. 2. 

eye at a distance of 

50 yards. For shooting at 30 yards, a distance 
which most of the shooting is likely to be done 
in the future, and on the Standard American 
100-yard rifle target, a sight slightly higher than 
the one shown in Fig. 2 should be used. 

To do fine shooting with pistol or revolver re- 





Chevalier Ira A. Paine, 
Professional Pistol and Revolver Shot. 



THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 6 1 

quires fine sights. At the time of writing this 
chapter such a feeling is growing, and many im- 
proved devices are being brought out. The most 
favored sight by expert shots at the present time 
is the sight shown in Figs, i and 2 for a forward 
sight, and the rear sight as shown in Fig. 3, which 
has a semicircular notch to 
draw the top of the front-sight 
into. This style of sight was 
devised bv Chevalier Ira Paine, 
and adopted by Messrs. Smith 
& Wesson, who style them '-' Paine Sights," 
it giving the effect of a pin-head sight. Some 
good shots prefer a fine plain front-sight without 
the bead, and some use a straight rear bar with- 
out a notch, but a platinum line in the centre. 

An improvement in the rear-sight is made by 
dovetailing a lateral sliding-bar across the barrel 
clutch of the Smith & Wesson revolvers, which 
makes an effective wind-gauge. Those desiring 
to test the accuracy of revolvers at a rest can do 
so very effectually by attaching to the rear-sight a 
piece of thin metal to convert the semicircle 
notch into a round aperture which, w^ith a tem- 
porary aperture front-sight or the sight shown, 
enables the tester to obtain a good sight, which is 
quite difficult w^hen shooting in this manner with 
open front and rear sights, which are so near to- 
gether. 

There are several ways of taking sight with 



62 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

pistol and revolver. It is believed that a majority 
of the best shots draw a very fine bead on the 
front-sight, and touch the object aimed at at the 
lower part of the bull's-eye at 6 o'clock. Other 
good shots prefer to place the sight on the object 
or on the bull's-eye, while still others place the 
sight on the object or on the bull's-eye, and see 
the tip at i3 o'clock. It is believed that those 
who sight at the lower or bottom of the object 
aimed at possess more advantages than in the 
other ways mentioned ; but the shooter should try 
the several ways, and, as soon as satisfied of his 
preference, adhere firmly to one manner of sight- 
ing, if permissible. It will be found that difierent 
makes and lots of ammunition vary considerably, 
affecting elevations ; difierent weather conditions 
also affect elevations ; this will be perceived with 
a few shots, and the error corrected by taking a 
finer or coarser sight. 

Doubtless in the near future there will be a rear 
elevating and wind-gauge sight for pistols and 
revolvers. One has been devised by Messrs. 
Smith & Wesson, which is a great improvement 
over any heretofore placed on the market. It 
seems to be quite a difficult thing to perfect a 
revolver-sight, as several firms know who have 
been endeavoring to accomplish it for some time 
past. As with heavy charges the desired object 
is to depress the barrel or lower the elevation, 
rather than raise ; while, with light charges, as 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. ' 63 

you increase your distance you are obliged to 
raise your rear-sight. A very high front-sight, 
which is necessary for the large charges, is 
considered unsymnietrical by manufacturers, and 
until some ingenious person devises a means of 
raising and lowering the front-sight of a revolver, 
the person who desires to shoot several kinds of 
ammunition accurately in one revolver, and at 
various distances, must carry about with him 
several front-sights of various heights which will 
interchange. 



64 THE MODERN AMERICAN 



CHAPTER VII. 

AMMUNITION FOR PISTOLS AND REVOLVERS. 

Nearly all the modern American pistols and 
revolvers are made to shoot metallic cartridges. 
There are a few fine muzzle-loading duelling and 
target pistols in use at the present time, but the 
great amount of time necessary to load them, in 
comparison with the modern breech-loading arms, 
makes them unpopular with most of the pistol- 
shots, and out of the question for revolvers for mili- 
tary use, where rapidity of firing and reloading 
is required. The difl^erence between a muzzle 
and breech loading single-shot pistol is apparently 
the same as the difference betw^een the tw^o sys- 
tems of rifles. If loaded a certain v/ay there is 
no advantage in one over another. Probably a 
muzzle-loading pistol, loaded the usual w^ay of 
duelling pistols, would show finer work than a 
breech-loading pistol of the same weight, length 
of barrel and bore, loaded with a factory metallic 
cartridge. But if two pistols exactly alike, with 
the exception of one being a muzzle-loader and 
the other a breech-loader, were loaded with the 
same charge, one being loaded at the muzzle, the 
other at the breech ; but instead of using a factory 
metallic cartridge the bullet was seated in the 
rifling, and the shell loaded flush to its top, and 
placed in the chamber, after the manner of loading 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 65 

the modern breech-loading target rifle, — it is 
believed that one pistol would shoot as well as the 
other. Many of the foreign target and duelling 
pistols of recent manufacture are made breech- 
loading, and loaded in the manner described. The 
expert pistol-shot is wxU aware that he can secure 
a great advantage by preparing ammunition for 
certain purposes in a manner different from the 
way the manufacturer makes it for the trade ; but 
this point w^ill be described later. 

With the exception of the pistols alluded to, all 
modern American pistols and revolvers take the 
metallic cartridges, which are produced in enor- 
mous quantities and variety of styles in this 
country. These cartridges vary in size, and are 
known to the trade from .22 to .50 calibre, and 
contain charges of powder from 3 grains to 40, 
and bullets w^eighing from 30 to 300 grains. 

The cartridge companies in America manufact- 
ure the following cartridges, w^hich are used in 
American pistols and revolvers : — 

Rim-Fire Cartridges. 

Conical-ball cartridge for indoors, .22-calibre. 
.22-calibre : powder, 3 grains ; lead, 30 grains. 
.22-calibre (long) : powder, 5 ; lead, 30. .25- 
calibre : powder, 5 ; lead, 38. .30-calibre : pow^der, 
6 ; lead, 55. .30-calibre (long) : powder, 9 ; lead, 
55. .32-calibre (ex. short) : powder, 6; lead, 55. 
.32-calibre (short) : pow^der, 9 ; lead, 82. .32- 



66 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

calibre (long) : powder, 13 ; lead, 90. .38-calibre 
(short) : powder, 18 ; lead, 150. .38-calibre 
(long) : powder, 21 ; lead, 148. .41 -calibre : pow- 
der, 13 ; lead, 130. .41-calibre (long) : powder, 16 ; 
lead, 130. .44-calibre (short) : powder, 21 ; lead, 
200. .44-calibre: powder, 26 ; lead, 200. .44- 
calibre: powder, 23; lead, 200. .46-calibre : 
powder, 26 ; lead, 230. 

Centre-Fire Cartridges, 

.22-calibre : powder, 15 grains ; lead, 45 grains. 
.32-calibre Smith & Wesson: powder, 9; lead, 
85. .32-calibre Colt : powder, 12; lead, 90. .32- 
calibre (short) : powder, 9 ; lead, 82. .32-calibre 
(long) : powder, 13 ; lead, 90. .32-calibre Win- 
chester : powder, 20; lead, 115. .32-calibre 
Smith & Wesson rifle and .32-calibre Smith & 
Wesson, 32-.44 : powder, 17; lead, 100. .38- 
calibre Merwin & Hulbert : powder, 14 ; lead, 
145. .38-calibre Smith & Wesson : powder, 
14; lead, 145. .38-calibre (short): powder, iS ; 
lead, 130. .38-calibre (long) : powder, 21 ; lead, 
148. .41-calibre: powder, 20; lead, 130. .41- 
calibre Colt's D. A. : powder, 14; lead, 160. 
.41-calibre D. A. : powder, 21 ; lead, 200. 
.44-calibre Webley : powder, 18; lead, 200. 
.44-calibre Bull Dog: powder, 15; lead, 168. 
.44-calibre Colt: powder, 23; lead, 210. .44- 
calibre Smith & Wesson, American model : 
powder, 25 ; lead, 205. .44-calibre Smith & 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 6"] 

Wesson, Russian model : powder, 22 ; lead, 235. 
.44-calibre Winchester : powder, 40 ; lead, 200. 
.44-calibre Merwin & Hulbert : jDOwder, 30 ; 
lead, 220. .44-calibre Smith & Wesson, Russian 
model, gallery : powder, 7. .44-calibre Smith & 
Wesson, Russian model, gallery, round ball : 
powder, 7. .45-calibre Webley : powder, 20 ; 
lead, 230. .45-calibre Colt's : powder, 35 ; lead, 
260. .4^-calibre Smith & Wesson (Schofield) : 
powder, 30 ; lead, 250. .50-calibre : powder, 25 ; 
lead, 300. 

The above list comprises all the metallic car- 
tridges known to the author which can be found 
in the market at the time of writing this chapter. 
Many of these cartridges are adapted to almost 
obsolete patterns of pistols and revolvers, and 
would never be selected by skilled marksmen to 
do fine work, for the reason that both pistol and 
cartridge are not suitable for good shooting. We 
have previously alluded to the great number of 
cheap, worthless pistols and revolvers to be found 
in the American market. Many of the cartridges 
are for these arms. We have also mentioned the 
great quantity of pistols and revolvers intended 
for weapons of defence at short range. Among 
this list are numerous cartridges for these weap- 
ons, and still others are for the best and most 
accurate of American pistols and revolvers ; these, 
with a few for foreign weapons, make up the list. 

Among the cartridges largely used in single- 



6S THE MODERN AMERICAN 

shot pistols at the present tune are the follow- 
ing : — 

Rim-Fire Cartridges. 

.22-calibre, conical balls ; .22-calibre, short. 

Centre-Fire Cartridges, 

.32-calibre Smith & Wesson ; .32-calibre Colt ; 
.32-calibre (short) ; .32-calibre (long) ; .32-cali- 
bre Winchester rifle-cartridge ; .32-calibre Smith 
& Wesson rifle. 

For revolvers no expert marksmen, unless 
obliged to, would use a rim-fire cartridge, and the 
centre-fire cartridges giving the best results are as 
follows : .32-calibre Smith & Wesson ; .32-calibre 
Colt ; .32-calibre (short) ; .32-calibre (long) ; .32- 
calibre Smith & Wesson rifle, with round or coni- 
cal ball, light and full charge ; .32-calibre Smith & 
Wesson, . 32-. 44, Russian model ; .38-calibreMer- 
win & Hulbert ; .38-calibre Smith & Wesson ; 
.38-calibre (short) ; .38-calibre (long) ; 41 -calibre ; 
.44-calibre Colt ; .44-calibre Smith & Wesson, 
American model ; .44-calibre Smith & Wesson, 
Russian model, full charge and light charge, 
with round or light conical bullet ; .44-calibre 
Winchester ; .45-calibre Webley ; .45-calibre 
Colt's Army ; .45-calibre Smith & Wesson 
(Schofield). In rim-fire cartridges the .22-calibre 
conical - ball cartridge is used in considerable 
quantity. It makes very little report and hardly 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 69 

any smoke, and is used largely by persons desir- 
ing practice indoors, where smoke and noise 
would be objectionable. Manufacturers claim that 
this cartridge possesses great accuracy at short 
range (ten or fifteen yards) , and will not injure 
the pistol. It is true that very fine shooting can 
often be done w^ith this cartridge, but the explo- 
sive substance with which this cartridge is charged 
is tremendously powerful, and the slightest varia- 
tion in the quantity affects the power of a cartridge, 
and it is not unusual to get a wild shot with 
good holding, and it is not uncommon to have 
a bullet lodged in the barrel of the pistol from 
lack of power in the cartridge sufficient to force 
it out. The question of its not injuring a 
pistol may be true ; but w^e should hesitate to 
use them in a pistol we desired to keep for the 
finest work, although the sport which can be ob- 
tained with these tiny cartridges tempts many 
enthusiasts to use them in great quantities. There 
are conical ball .22-calibre cartridges in the mar- 
ket with very thick, irregular heads. In using 
them there is much danger of premature dis- 
charges, as by closing the pistol the head of the 
cartridge is jammed, and an explosion is likely to 
occur, as they did several times in the writer's 
hands. This fact well illustrates the greater 
danger in handling rim-fire over centre-fire car- 
tridges. The .22-calibre (short) cartridge is con- 
sumed annually by the million in America by 



70 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

pistol - shooters. It is probably as accurate, if 
properl}^ made, as any cartridge in the world up 
to a distance of fifty yards. It doubtless will con- 
tinue in popularity for many years, for it is diffi- 
cult, if not impossible, to make a cartridge of 
this size to sell for the price this cartridge does, 
and have it centre-fire, besides the difficulty of 
making a primer small enough to fit a .22 -calibre 
straight shell. In all calibres above .22 the rim- 
fire cartridge is fast becoming obsolete, and they 
are never chosen now^ for the expert pistol-shot. 
The chief faults of the rim-fire cartridges are 
danger and unreliability caused by the action of 
heat on the lubricant. Rim-fire cai'tridges can be 
spoiled by placing them near a hot stove or where 
great heat can reach them, or even by placing them 
in a show-window where the sun strikes them ; 
and ammunition which would shoot well on leav- 
ing the factory, from the causes mentioned, would 
be liable to either miss fire or shoot wild. Centre- 
fire cartridges are safer to handle, less liable to be 
injured by temperature, but far from perfect. 
The pistols and revolvers described in this work 
are probably not absolutely perfect ; but it is be- 
Heved that they are much nearer so than the 
ammunition advertised to use in them. Promin- 
ent among the faults in American pistol-cartridges 
to-day are the following : — 

I. The exterior diameter of the cartridge, in- 
stead of the interior diameter, conforming to the 
bore of the pistol. 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 7 1 

2. The excessive crimping of the shell to hold 
the bullet. 

3. The placing of the lubricant on the exposed 
part of the bullet, instead of in cannelures covered 
by the shell. 

4. The want of a proper powder to load the 
cartridge. 

The first fault may properly be laid to the door 
of the manufacturer of the arms, which we are 
glad to say is found mostly in the cheap revolvers. 

The second fault is being overcome by car- 
tridge-makers, and, as a result, better shooting is 
being done. 

The third fault has taken the wn'iter a long time 
to correct. The Government Ordnance Board 
wisely saw this fault, and made the Government 
revolver cartridge with no exposed lubricant. 
The Winchester model, 1873, rifle cartridge has 
no outside lubricant. This is one reason why the 
Colt frontier revolver is the favorite arm of thou- 
sands of frontiersmen, when experiments w^ould 
probably convince the most sceptical that the 
Russian model cartridge as a charge possesses 
far greater accuracy, and if in the hands of a 
battalion of cavalry would show much better 
results than the army cartridge or the .44 Win- 
chester. The Smith & Wesson Russian model 
cartridge was designed by officers of the Russian 
government, but why they decided to have an 
outside lubricant the writer could never conceive. 



J2 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

This cartridge, in a Smith & Wesson revolver, in 
cold w^eather, if shot slowly out of doors, w^ill 
foul a revolver to such an extent as to disable it ; 
and as Russia is a cold country, it would seem 
easy to imagine the difficulty likely to arise from 
this cause. The writer, perceiving this fault in 
the Russian model cartridge, visited the factory of 
the Union Metallic Cartridge Co. and suggested a 
change. The superintendent of the works imme- 
diately invited the writer to the testing-room, 
where fifty shots were fired rapidly without clean- 
ing, and the result offered as proof of the excel- 
lence of the cartridge. It was suggested that a 
box be placed out of doors, it being a cold day, 
which was done, and after a brief time the cartridges 
were shot slowly, and before the box was half con- 
sumed the revolver could not be cocked, from the 
excessive fouling. This enterprising company at 
once saw the fault in this cartridge, and in a short 
time the writer had the pleasure of receiving a 
box of the new cartridges, with no outside lubri- 
cant, which, upon testing, were found much 
cleaner ; and it is believed that twenty, or per- 
haps more, of these new cartridges can be fired in 
a Smith & Wesson revolver, and accurate shooting 
secured. The improvement was so apparent that 
this company discontinued the old manner of mak- 
ing this cartridge, and manufacture their entire 
product of this cartridge with no exposed lubricant ; 
and' other companies are to follow their example. 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 73 

All ammunition which is intended to be carried 
in a belt or the pocket should have no outside 
lubricant. When the exposed part of the bullet 
is freely lubricated it is likely to become de- 
tached on one side, and experiments have shown 
that a bullet, with grease on one side only, will 
not shoot accurately ; and we shall not be surprised 
later to see cartridges for smaller calibres made 
with an increased number of cannelures and no ex- 
posed lubricant. The chief trouble with revolver 
ammunition to-day is its excessive fouling from 
the grease and pow^der. By firing bullets into soft 
snow from a revolver which has been shot a few 
times, the investigator will find a ragged bullet, 
which shows how^ it raked over the adamantine- 
like crust which adheres to the inside of a revolver- 
barrel, which impairs its accuracy ; therefore the 
fine shot cleans his revolver about once in every 
ten shots, if shooting the full charge. We have 
seen frontiersmen who stated they seldom clean 
their revolver except when they go hunting for a 
victim ; but, as these individuals never did what 
is now called fine shooting, and the man w^ho 
cleans his revolver as often as every ten shots 
puts ten consecutive shots in a four-inch bull's- 
eye at thirty yards, it is evident that keeping a 
revolver clean is conducive to good marksman- 
ship. 

Most shooters believe a great improvement 
will, before long, be made in powder, and it is 



74 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

thought that this will lessen the fouling of revolv- 
ers ; but this difficulty is not likely to be wholly 
overcome. 

Newly-made ammunition is more desirable than 
old, if great accuracy is desired ; hence many 
marksmen prefer to load their own ammunition, 
the mode of which will be found in another 
chapter. 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 75 



CHAPTER VIII. 

RELOADING AMMUNITION FOR PISTOLS AND RE- 
VOLVERS. 

There is a general impression among the shoot- 
ing fraternity that reloaded ammunition is superior 
to the factory made. This is doubtless true if 
prepared by an expert, but it is safe to say that a 
majority of persons would secure much better 
results from the factory-made cartridges than they 
would with those prepared by themiselves. It is 
necessary to have perfect fire-arms to secure fine 
and regular shooting ; but unless the proper am- 
munition is used, the superiority of the pistol or 
revolver will not be apparent. 

As marksmen become skilful, they notice errors 
in shooting ; if they possess enthusiasm enough 
to become experts, they are constantly studying to 
improve their shooting, and a large share of their 
attention is devoted to the ammunition. It is not 
uncommon to find cartridges with the bullet im- 
properly seated in the cartridge-case or shell ; the 
bullet is sometimes jambed over one side of the 
shell, and instead of being wholly seated in the 
shell has the full length of the bullet on one side 
exposed. The common mode of lubricating by 
dipping in the lubricant, after the bullet is seated 
in the shell, hides many defects in factory-made 




The Winchester Reloading Tool for Pistol and 
Revolver Cartridges. 



THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. // 

cartridges, and the indifferent shooter fires the 
cartridges without thinking or investigating the 
cause of wild shots, until he notices what is techni- 
cally known as '' key-holes," or the bullets going 
through the target sideways instead of point on. 

Other faults in factory-made ammunition are 
caused by age, which deteriorates the cartridge, 
causing the powder to cake, and the shell, bul- 
led, and Jubricant to oxidize ; the latter cause 
also affecting the efficacy of the primer. As 
some cartridge companies have used one formula 
for making lubricant for cold weather, another for 
warm weather, and as lots of ammunition get 
scattered in all sections, and sometimes carried in 
stock for several years, it can be said that one 
would not be likely to get so good results from 
factory cartridges as from those freshly prepared 
of home make. 

There are other reasons why many of the shoot- 
ing fraternity prefer to reload their ammunition ; 
it is a piece of economy not to be despised, and 
being located io an inaccessible place, away from 
towns or cities where cartridges can be purchased, 
compels some individuals to make their own 
ammunition. 

The marksman, in attempting to reload ammu- 
nition, will be beset with many obstacles, and is 
not likely to produce so good cartridges at the 
first trials as he can purchase in stores where they 
have been received fresh from the factories ; but 



78 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

to those who desire to prepare their own ammu- 
nition, the following mode, practised by different 
pistol and revolver experts, will doubtless prove a 
guide to many. 

If the finest work is to be attempted, the use of 
new shells is recommended. If old shells are to 
be reloaded, the exploded primer should first be 
removed, the shells then washed and thoroughly 
rinsed in water, warm if convenient, and, if de- 
sirable to remove the stains from the shells, a little 
acid may be dropped into the water. After wash- 
ing thoroughly, dry perfectly, but do not heat 
enough to draw the temper. Special care should 
be taken to have the water diied out of the pockets 
or primer-holes. The next process, if the shell 
was previously crimped, is to expand it at the 
mouth. 

The reloading tools supplied by manufacturers 
are advertised to expand as well as decap the shell, 
but do so very ineffectually, and a tool is recom- 
mended specially for this purpose. Unless the 
shell is sufficiently expanded, the bullet cannot be 
properly seated in the shell, and this is one of the 
first difficulties the beginner is likely to encounter. 
After expanding the shell, the next operation is to 
reprime the shells. It will be found necessary to 
use the copper primer for most of the American 
shells. Considerable care should be used in seat- 
ing the primer, as most of the shells are not solid 
head, and a heavy pressure on the capper will seat 




The Ideal Reloading Tool, for Pistol 
AND Revolver Cartridges. 



8o THE MODERN AMERICAN 

the primer too deep, and often force it through the 
pocket and spoil the shell. If the full charge of 
powder is to be used in the cartridge, the shells 
should then receive it ; but if a reduced charge is 
to be used in a large calibre, with the object of 
making cartridges for in-door shooting, many ex- 
perts use a wad of pasteboard of the exact size of 
the inside diameter of the shell, with a hole about 
one-half the diameter of the wad in its centre. 
The wad is seated in the base of the shell, and the 
light charge of powder poured in. The object of 
this wad is to have the powder ignite quicker than 
it is supposed it would if spread over the base of a 
large shell. By the hole in the centre of the wad, 
much of the small charge of fine powder is di- 
rectly in front of the primer, and the theory of ex- 
perts is that the full force of the charge of powder 
is more quickly secured than if spread over the 
base of a large shell. 

The question of powder is a very important one, 
and has provoked an endless amount of discussion 
and experimenting among manufacturers and 
shooters. The most desirable point is cleanliness, 
as much fouling means inaccurate shooting ; and as 
that is a very marked defect in nearly all black 
powders at the present time, many believe that the 
effectiveness and accuracy of the revolver will be 
increased when improvements in powder are 
made. 

In the smaller calibres and in short- barrelled 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 8 1 

pistols a finer grain of powder should be used ; the 
fine-grain powder is also better for light charges. 

A request to the leading American powder 
manufacturers to state the brands of powder they 
recommended for pistol and revolver shooting 
brought the following responses : — 

Boston, Mass., 1887. 
Editor of The Rifle : — 

Dear Sir, — I enclose one of our later folders, 
by which you will see that, in sizes, the Telegraph 
runs from No. i to No. 5, inclusive. I think, 
however, for pistol cartridges I should not recom- 
mend anything coarser than No. 2; /.^., Tele- 
graph, Nos. 2 to 5 ; Rifle Cartridge, Nos. 3 to 5 
(No. 2 is used in rim-fire cartridges, w^hich are not 
reloadable) ; also " Dead Shot." Yours, 

F. A. ADAMS. 



DUPONT^S POW^DER, 

87 Beaver Street, New^ York. 
Editor of The Rifle : — 

Dear Sir, — Yours of loth inst. duly received, 
and in reply w^ould say that for pistol cartridges 
we would recommend the pow^ders specially 
made for that purpose and known as FFF B 
cartridge powder, and also FFF A powder. 

The Eagle Duck No. 3 is also used for pistol 
cartridges ; but Mr. Conlin, the expert in such 
matters, and who keeps a gallery in this city for 
pistol-shooting principally, states that " the FFP 



82 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

B brand of powder, introduced to revolver shoot- 
eis, would prove the best adapted to revolver car- 
tridges, as I find it to be the best that I have yet 
tried." Yours truly, 

E. I. DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO. 



Boston, Dec. 15, 1887. 
Editor of The Rifle: — 

Dear Sir, — Yours of loth inst. is received. 
We would recommend for pistol cartridges our 
Wing Shot, No. 3 or No. 3 grain, or Western 
Sporting, Fg or FFg grain. Yours truly, 

ORIENTAL POWDER MILLS. 



The Hazard Powder Company, 

Manufacturers of Gunpowder, 
New York. 
Editor of The Rifle : — 

Dear Sir, — Yours of the 9th just received. 
The difference of opinion is so varied regarding 
the best powder for pistol cartridges that we hesi- 
tate to recommend. The calibre may be .32 or 
.45 ; yet, if the pistol barrel be long, it requires 
for accurate shooting a much coarser grain pow- 
der than does a short barrel. We enclose here- 
with our circular and diagram card, and remain, 
Yours truly, 

THE HAZARD POWDER CO. 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 83 

(Extract from Circular.) 

For pistol-shooting — A fine grain is preferred, 
of '' Electric," '' American Sporting," or " Ken- 
tucky Rifle." 

In addition to the American brands of black 
powder mentioned is the American wood powder, 
which is favored by some pistol-shots on account 
of its non-fouling qualities. The English powder, 
Curtis & Harvey No. 3, is also excellent. It is 
quite clean and uniform, but its cost is very high, 
the expense of a pound being about ^1.50. The 
American Powder Works' products are used by 
many experts, the Hazard's Kentucky Rifle is 
also a favorite brand, but there are many opinions 
as to the best powder ; if a shooter get good 
results with a certain brand, it is wisdom to use 
it exclusively, if possible, as the diflerent brands 
vary considerably in strength and effect elevations. 
Mr. F. J. Rabbeth, an acknowledged expert in 
fire-arms, has devoted considerable time to experi- 
menting with powders, shooting many hundred 
shots at a rest, with revolvers fitted with fine 
sights, to learn, if possible, the merits of different 
brands of powder for pistol- shooting. His ex- 
periments with wood powder show excellent re- 
sults ; but a majority of the pistol-shots at the 
present time do not seem to favor this kind of 
powder, but there exists a feeling that before long 
a powder will be produced which will cause less 
fouling than that in use at the present time, and 




Score of 90 out of a possible 100, at 30 yards, with gallery ammu- 
nition, in .44-calibre Smith & Wesson Russian-model rev^olver, 
made by Mr. F. E. Bennett, at Walnut Hill, Mass., Oct. u, 
1SS7. Reduced one-half. 



THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 85 

such a compound will be welcomed by pistol- 
shots. 

After placing the powder in the shell the bullet 
is inserted, generally without a wad, and seated 
in the shell. In cartridges with full charges the 
bullet is generally seated with a tool made ex- 
pressly for the purpose. With reduced charges, 
a round ball is often used, which is seated 
down in the shell touching the powder. It is 
then necessary to lubricate the cartridge, and as 
there are no cannelures to hold the grease, it is 
necessary to place the lubrication around the 
upper edges of the bullet. There are several ways 
of doing this, the most approved manner being to 
place a bit of cold lubricant in each shell after the 
bullet lias been seated, then with a plug with a 
concave end, of about the same diameter as the 
shell, force the lubricant down on top of the bullet, 
and by a few turns of the plug the lubricant will 
be placed evenly around the edge of the ball. 
Evenly distributing the lubricant is essential to 
secure even shooting. 

If desirable to make the bullets, we cannot add 
anything to the directions given by Mr. F. J. 
Rabbeth to the readers of The Rifle in a 
recent issue, from which we extract the follow- 
ing : — 

" Ever since the combination of cartridge manu- 
facturers went into effect, by which the prices of 
bullets were advanced some 20 per cent., I have 



86 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

been tempted to tell riflemen what I know about 
making bullets, thereby enabling such as have not 
mastered the art, but who have the time and 
inclination, — as also the disposition to save a 
penny, — to quickly acquire it, and at the same 
time become independent of all combinations of 
bullet-makers in the future. 

''It is evident from the quality of moulds fur- 
nished by the various manufacturers that there has 
been very little effort by any of them to furnish 
their customers with a practical implement. In- 
deed, I believe their policy has usually been to dis- 
courage people from making their own ammuni- 
tion. I have searched the market through and 
have never yet found a thoroughly practical mould 
on sale. In fact, as compared with a first-class 
implement, a large majority of these things are 
absolutely worthless ; but it would take too much 
space to pomt out all their various defects, and it 
will be much easier to describe how a good mould 
should be made. To begin, the mould should be 
of brass or composition, as lead flows to that metal 
better than iron or steel, and is worth more than 
the diflerence in cost. The tw^o halves should be 
pivoted together, like a pair of blacksmith's tongs 
(not like a nut-cracker, as many of them are), 
with a large, well-fitted hinge-screw, with a body 
part one-eighth larger than thread part, so that it 
may be screwed solid against this enlarged body 
part without binding the mould too tightly to- 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 8/ 

gether. Unless these hinge-screws are so fitted 
with shoulder they are continually working loose, 
and causing delay and trouble. After the mould 
is pivoted together and properly jointed, it should 
have one Vv^ell-fitted dowel-pin placed as far from 
the pivot-screw as possible in the centre of the 
mould-head. The mould should be ample in 
size at the pivot or hinge, and at the head, so that 
it will not be likely to get sprung out of adjustment 
by rough usage ; also that its mass may retain 
heat, and so preserve a more uniform temperature 
while in use. The cut-off should be ^ of cast- 
steel, one-eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch 
thick, and pivoted on a substantial, well-fitted 
screw, with enlarged body part, as described for 
hinge-screw, and for the same purpose, /.^., that 
it may stay put when secured to place. 

"' The sprew-hole for any ordinary-sized bullet 
should not exceed one-tenth inch in diameter. 
The cut-ofT should project about one and a half 
inches beyond mould-head, and should swing far 
enough to one side to entirely uncover the base of 
the bullet. The shanks of the mould should be 
adapted to receive wood handles, and with 
handles attached, for comfort in use, should 
measure about nine inches to hinge-screw. 

" For melting the lead a small plumber's kettle 
should be had that will hold, when full, about 
twenty pounds. For dipping from this, a small 
Monroe ladle, with round nozzle that will enter 



88 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

the counter-sink or sprew-hole of the cut-off. 
Heat the mould till it is near the melting temper- 
ature of lead, and when the lead in kettle is suffi- 
ciently hot, dip from kettle with ladle. Apply 
mould to nozzle while in a horizontal position, 
then while still holding mould in contact, quickly 
elevate ladle above mould, holding them in that 
position for a few seconds. This gives the full 
pressure of the lead in the ladle on the mould 
while it is cooling, and by this method as perfect 
a bullet can be cast as can be made by swaging. 
They can be cast at the average rate of 325 per 
hour. A gas stove is much the best means of 
melting the lead, as a more even temperature can 
be maintained ; but it is not difficult to cast good 
bullets, using almost any kind of a coal fire. 

'' The lead and moulds should be kept at a 
temperature that will require a few seconds, say 
five to ten, for the lead in the sprew-hole to solidify 
after the ladle has been separated from the mould. 
This is the true test ; and while this temperature 
is maintained, the bullets will be cast perfect. 
The mould should be held over the kettle while 
casting, so that any lead spilled may fall into 
main body. 

'' The best method for lubricating grooved bul- 
lets is to mix beeswax and cylinder or other heavy 
oil, — one part oil to four beeswax. Procure a 
pair of ordinary ten-cent tweezers, file away the 
centre so they will grasp the bullet near the point 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 89 

and not slip off too readily. Dip the bullets to 
cover all the grooves, and set them on a board to 
cool. When cool, remove surplus lubricant by 
forcing bullets through a tube the size of bullet. 
This is cheaply made by cutting off the head of a 
shell and soldering a tapering tin extension to the 
shell, say six inches long. Shove this tube on to 
the bullets as they stand on the board, and empty 
the tube as often as it fills w^ith bullets. If the 
grooves are not too wide — they should not be 
more than ^-inch wide, say twelve to the inch — 
this method will give perfect lubrication. Another 
method about equally good is to set a quantity of 
bullets in a shallow pan, points up, then to pour 
melted lubricant among them till there is sufficient 
in the pan to cover all the grooves ; set aside till 
lubricant is sufficiently cooled, then use the tube 
as described above to remove surplus. Bullets 
so cast and lubricated will do very fine shooting 
either with clean or dirty barrel." 

Cartridges should not be exposed to the sun, and 
should be kept in a dry, cool place. 



90 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

CHAPTER IX. 

THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE REVOLVER. 

Results of Revolver -firing up to Fifty Yards, 

It was believed by many of the experts with 
fire-arms, as well as the author, for a number of 
years, that the possibilities of the revolver were 
not generally, if at all, known. Many were aware 
that the single-shot pistol with a long barrel, suit- 
able sights, and proper charge was capable of 
doing excellent work at short and long range ; 
but the revolver, on account of its revolving 
cylinder, permitting an escape of gas, as well 
as the comparatively short barrel, was capa- 
ble of shooting accurately only at short range ; 
25 yards or 100 feet was generally the chosen 
distance in most revolver contests, and it was 
thought necessary to have a target as coarse as 
the Creedmoor 200-yard rifle target to shoot on 
at these distances. Believing that the revolver 
was capable of doing much finer work than any 
previously recorded work it was possible for the 
author to learn of, he closely watched the results 
obtained with this arm in various parts of the 
world ; sought and obtained the services of the 
most skilful marksmen he could find ; arranged 
public and private exhibitions ; spent days upon 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 9 1 

the rifle-ranges where experiments were tried, 
thousands of shots fired from revolvers and pistols, 
at a rest with fine sights by acknowledged ex- * 
perts in this style of shooting ; professional and 
expert amateurs' services obtained ; and revolvers 
and pistols, of various makes, shot from 7 up to 
500 yards. Factories where the revolvers were 
manufactured were visited, shooting witnessed and 
done, and the results obtained carefully preserved. 
As the author became impressed that the results 
secured from time to time were beyond what 
was believed the revolver was capable of doing, 
he forwarded targets or reports to manufacturers of 
the arms used, with a request to be informed if the 
results were equal or superior to what they had 
obtained, or thought were likely to be secured. In 
every instance replies indicated that they were 
surprised at the excellence of the results ; and in 
most cases they frankly acknowledged that the ac- 
curacy was beyond what they supposed the arms 
possessed. These replies have influenced the 
author to record in this little work the results 
of pistol and revolver firing which have come 
under his personal observation, believing that 
they are much beyond what was generally be- 
lieved to be possible to do with those arms, 
more complete than has ever been previously re- 
corded ; but at the same time firmly believing that 
if pistol and revolver shooting becomes a popular 
sport in America, — if it is indulged in to one- 



9^ THE MODERN AMERICAN 

half the extent rifle-shooting is at the time of 
preparing this work, — the feats chronicled in this 
volume will not be the best results possible, and, 
doubtless, many an amateur will surpass them. 




Eighteen shots with a revolver, by Mr. George Bird, at 12 
yards, winner of first prize in revolver match, Conlin's Gal- 
lery, New York. Score, 210; possible, 216. 

Parties who essay to perform such feats as light- 
ing matches and driving tacks with a bullet 
usually attempt tliem at a distance of about 7 
yards, as that is about as long a distance as 
the average person can see such objects. Ten 
and 13 yards is about the shortest distance at 
which target-shooting is practised; at this dis- 
tance the modern revoher, \vith a barrel from four 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 93 

Inches upwards, if properly charged and held, if 
all the cylinders are loaded, ought to place everj^ 
shot in a group which could be enclosed or 
touched by a circle one inch in diameter. It re- 
quires a good revolver, proper ammunition, as 
well as a skilful marksman, to do such work ; but 
it is no uncommon occurrence in galleries where 
the range is 12 yards, as will be seen by the 
illustrations In this chapter. 

It is nothing uncommon for experts with pistol 
or revolver to place a series of shots in a smaller 
circle than one Inch, at 12 yards, especially if 
a .22-calibre, single-shot, heavy pistol is used; 
but it should be stated that such shooting is 
generally done with light charges ; but it can 
and has been done with full, heavy charges. At 
20 yards It Is not uncommon to place all the 
shots, wdien fired at a rest, in or touched by a cir- 
cle one and one-half Inches in diameter. 

When revolver-shooting was introduced as an 
adjunct to rifle-shooting it w^as thought that the 
Standard American target for 200 yards rifle prac- 
tice was the proper thing for revolver-shooting at 
a distance of 25 yards. A match w^as first an- 
nounced at the annual meeting at Creedmoor, In 
1 886, in which there were three scores of 48 out 
of a possible 50 in ^ve shots secured. There were 
three scores to count, or possible 150 points. The 
highest three scores in this match were 143, 140, 
134. There were five scores only of five shots 



94 



THE MODERN AMERICAN 



each in which the shots were all inside of the nine- 
circle, which is 5^Vioo inches in diameter. A 
month later the Massachusetts Rifle Association 




Six shots with a Smith & W^esson .32-calibre revolver, at 12 yards, 
made in Conlin"s Gallery, New York City, February 8, 18S7, 
by Mr. Pierre Lorillard, Jr. 

announced a revolver match, in the annual fall 
meeting programme, under similar conditions, ex- 
cepting the match called for five scores to count. 
As both matches w^ere unlimited reentry matches, 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 95 

the best three scores of the highest four individuals 
are taken to compare with the results secured at 
Creedmoor. Four scores are selected because 
the person at the head of the list was a profes- 
sional shot, and his skill at that time was consid- 
erably in advance of his competitors. 

The second, third, and fourth prize-winners 
secured an aggregate of 143, 142, 141. 

The professional shot was Chevalier Paine, who 
on his sixth entry secured the possible of 50 in 
five shots and two scores of 49, making 148 out of 
a possible 150, or the 15 shots (not consecutive) 
in a 554/jQQ inch circle. This gentleman fired 40 
shots. Of this number there were 27 in the 10 
circle, which is y^iioo inches in diameter. Soon 
after this meeting revolver-shooting sprung into 
popularity, and it w^as show^n by the shooting of 
the members of the Massachusetts Rifle Associa- 
tion that, if revolver-shooting was continued at 25 
yards, the possible would be secured so frequently 
as to make the sport uninteresting. It is worthy 
of record that Mr. A. L. Brackett of that as- 
sociation made the following 10- shot score at 25 
yards on the Standard American target : — 

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 10 10 = 98 

It was decided by this club to change the dis- 
tance to 50 yards. 

Chevalier Ira Paine was the first individual 
known to fire 100 shots on this target at this dis- 



96 



THE MODERN AMERICAN 



tance, which he did Oct. 15, 1886, at Wahint Hill 
range, using a .44-calibre Russian-model army 
revolver and factory ammunition made by Union 
Metallic Cartridge Co. 

The 100 shots w^ere as follows : — 



7 


7 


8 


6 


9 


7 


6 


8 


9 


9 = 76 


9 


10 


8 


7 


8 


9 


6 


9 


5 


8 = 79 


9 


9 


7 


8 


7 


9 


7 


6 


10 


6 = 78 


9 


5 


8 


6 


7 


9 


8 


10 


10 


10 --82 


8 


6 


9 


8 


8 


7 


7 


6 


8 


10 = 77 


6 


10 


9 


6 


8 


9 


7 


9 


7 


9 = 80 


9 


9 


10 


8 


6 


9 


7 


10 


9 


7=84 


9 


6 


9 


9 


6 


10 


10 


8 


7 


9 = 82 





8 


10 


7 


8 


8 


8 


6 


9 


6 = 80 


8 


6 


9 


8 


6 


7 


7 


8 


6 


8 = 73 




Total . 














. . . . 701 




Six shots with a Smith & AVesson Frontier- model revolver, at 
12 yards, reduced charg-e, made by Mr. George Bird, at 
Conlin's Gallery, New York, April 23, 1887. 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 97 

The first person who attempted to equal Chev- 
alier Paine's record was Dr. C. C. Foster, who 
fired 100 shots w^th a Colt's .38-calibre double- 
action revolver on same target, at the same dis- 
tance, at Walnut Hill, Nov. 20, 1886, he securing 
782 points. The next attempt at raising the rec- 
ord was by Chevalier Paine, who shot against his 
own record at Walnut Hill with the same w^eapon 
he used in the first 50-yard match. He shot on 
March 17, 1887, with the following result: — 



9 


5 


7 


10 


10 


-10 


9 


10 


9 


8 = 87 


7 


6 


6 


7 


6 


9 


9 


10 


7 


5=72 


10 


9 


10 


7 


7 


7 


9 


10 


9 


7=85 


10 


10 


9 


7 


9 


6 


7 


10 


9 


9 = 86 


10 


10 


6 


10 


10 


8 


10 


7 


10 


9 = 90 


9 


8 


7 


8 


7 


9 


10 


6 


8 


7^79 


10 


8 


9 


9 


8 


10 


9 


8 


6 


9 = 86 


10 


7 


8 


9 


10 


9 


10 


10 


6 


8 = 87 


8 


8 


8 


6 


10 


9 


7 


9 


10 


7 = 82 


10 


6 


9 


10 


9 


8 


7 


10 


9 


9 = 87 




Total . . 














8ai 



It will be observed that 70 of the 100 shots were 
bull's-eyes ; 29 of the shots were tens, or in the 
3^^/100 circle. The first 10 shots broke all previous 
lo-shot records ; the fifth string counted 90, and 
was at that time the best lo-shot record at 50 
yards. The aggregate of 841 for the 100 shots 
was 50 points over his previous record, and 59 
points more than had ever been secured by any 
other individual in a loo-shot match. 

This loo-shot was unbroken until Nov. 4, 1887 ; 
but on May 21, 1887, Mr. W. W. Bennett broke 
the lo-shot 50 yards' record on the Standard Amer- 



98 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

ican target, by recording the following score at 
Walnut Hill : — 

lo 8 lo 6 lo 7 lo lo lo lo = 91 
On November 4 Mr. F. E Bennett iired 100 
shots at 50 yards with a Smith & Wesson Russian- 
model, 44-calibre army revolver, with factory 
ammunition, with the declared object of breaking 
the loo-shot record. He scored the following re- 
sult : — 

1 7 8 10 10 9 7 10 7 9 10 = 87 

2 8 9 8 9 7 10 8 6 9 9 = 83 

3 6 10 9 8 10 10 9 8 10 7 = 87 

4 8 9 10 9 6 10 7 10 8 8 = 85 

5 7 9 8 8 9 5 6 9 10 7 = 78 

6 9 10 8 7 10 10 8 10 6 9 = 87 

7 10 9 9 8 10 10 10 7 7 9 = 89 

8 10 9 9 7 9 9 7 10 8 7= 85 

9.. 9 10 7 9 10 7 8 9 7 10 = 86 

10 10 8 9 10 8 8 10 9 9 9 = 90 

Total 857 

This score was 16 points higher than any pre- 
vious record. 

On November 14 a second match was shot by 
him, under similar conditions as the first, result- 
ing as follows : — 

I 7 9 10 10 9 8 10 8 8 6 = 85 

2 9 9 10 10 9 10 9 10 9 7 = 92 

3 10 9 10 10 8 9 10 9 9 7 = 91 

4 7 10 9 8 10 8 8 8 10 7 = 85 

5 7 9 9 10 8 10 10 10 9 9 ^= 91 

6 10 8 10 8 10 7 9 10 7 9 = 88 

7 7 8 8 8 9 9 7 10 8 7 = 81 

8 7 9 10 5 9 8 8 9 9 9=^ 83 

9 9 9 10 10 7 10 10 10 9 8 = 92 

10 7 10 9 9 7 10 9 10 8 10 = 89 

Total 877 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 99 

This aggregate being 20 points higher than any 
previous record. 

On Nov. 25, 1887, Mr. F. E. Bennett fired 100 
shots, under similar conditions, the lo-shot aggre- 
gate being : — 

85 89 87 86 88 81 95 89 = 852 

He fell short of the 100- shot record, but broke 
the lo-shot record by the following score : — 
10 10 10 9 9 10 9 10 9 9 = 95 




Six shots with a Smith & Wesson .44-calibre Russian-model 
revolver, reduced charg-e, made in Conlin's Gallery, New 
York, Feb. 12, 1887, by Mr. J. T. B. Collins. 



A diagram of this target is shown on page 100, 
in an illustration reduced one-quarter. 




95 out of a possible loo, on Standard American target, in lo con- 
secutive shots, at 50 yards, with a Smith & Wesson .44-calibre 
Russian-model revolver, with Union Metallic Cartridge Co. 
ammunition, made at Walnut Hill, Mass., Nov. 25, 1SS7, ^7 
Mr. F. E. Bennett. Reduced one-quarter. 



THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 1 01 

In November, 1887, a wager was made that 
Mr. F. E. Bennett would equal or surpass 841 
points or better for six consecutive days, firing 
100 shots a day, at 50 yards, on the Standard 
American target, using factory ammunition. He 
commenced his task December 5, and following 
is the score in detail : — 



December 5. 

1 6 10 8 10 7 10 10 10 10 10 = 91 

2 8 10 9 10 7 9 9 9 10 8 = 89 

3 9 10 10 6 9 10 9 10 10 10 = 93 

4 10 9 9 6 10 10 10 S 9 9 = 90 

5 8 10 7 6 9 8 9 9 10 9 = 85 

6 8 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 = 94 

7 7 9 10 10 6 9 10 8 7 6 = 82 

8 10 10 9 10 7 9 8 9 7 9 = 88 

9.. .....10 10 8 8 10 9 10 10 7 8 = 90 

10 9 7 7 10 10 8 8 9 9 7 = 84 

Total 886 



December 6. 

I 5 7 10 9 10 10 10 9 9 8 = 87 

2 8 9 10 7 6 9 10 10 10 10 := 89 

3 8 9 10 8 10 7 8 10 10 9 = 89 

4 8 9 10 7 7 8 9 9 8 10 = 85 

5 9 10 7 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 = 94 

6 9 9 10 10 o 7 10 9 9 10 = 83 

7 6 7 9 10 9 9 10 9 9 6 = 84 

8 8 9 10 9 9 10 10 8 6 8 = 87 

9 10 10 8 9 10 10 10 9 8 8 = 92 

10 8 6 7 8 7 9 10 8 6 8 = 77 

Total 867 



I02 



THE MODERN AMERICAN 













December 7. 










I 


. . .lO 


8 


9 





10 


6 


6 


9 


6 


7 -= 71 


2 




... 7 


8 


10 


8 


7 


8 


9 


8 


8 


10 = 83 


3 




• 7 


9 


6 


7 


10 


7 


8 


8 


9 


7 = 78 


4 




... 7 


9 


10 


7 


9 


10 


7 


9 


10 


6 = 84 


5 




... 8 


8 


8 


9 


9 


8 


8 


10 


9 


9 = 86 


6 




. . lO 


7 


8 


10 


10 


10 


10 


9 


10 


10 := 94 


7 




• 7 


9 


8 


10 


9 


8 


10 


6 


9 


10 = 86 


8 




... 8 


7 


8 


7 


7 


10 


9 


9 


8 


7 = 80 


9 




... 9 


9 


9 


9 


10 


8 


8 


10 


9 


9 = 90 


lO 




... 8 


10 


8 


8 


7 


8 


8 


8 


s 


7 = 80 


Total . . . 


















. . . '$>\2 








Dece 


mber 8. 








. . . . UJ^ 


I 


... 8 


7 


10 


9 


8 


9 


7 


7 


10 


8 = 83 


2 




... 8 


7 


7 


9 


9 


8 


7 


10 


9 


8-382 


3 




. . . lO 


5 


9 


8 


5 


10 


8 


9 


8 


6 = 78 


4 




... TO 


6 


9 


10 


8 


9 


9 


9 


10 


10 = 90 


5 




...8 


10 


10 


8 


10 


7 


10 


9 


9 


10 = 91 


6 




"" I 


6 


9 


9 


6 


10 


10 


10 


7 


10 = 84 


7 




. . . 7 


8 


7 


9 


8 


8 


8 


8 


7 


10 = 80 


8 




...9 


7 


8 


10 


10 


10 


10 


6 


10 


10 = 90 


9 




... 9 


8 


9 


9 


/ 


8 


9 


6 


9 


10 = 84 


lO 




5 


6 


8 


lO 


7 


6 


9 


10 


10 


10 = 81 


Total . . - 


















... 84^ 








December g. 








,^_i.j 


I 


... 10 


7 


9 


9 


7 


10 


10 


8 


/ 


8 = 85 


2 




. . . 7 


9 


8 


10 


7 


9 


10 


7 


9 


8 = 84 


3 




... 8 


8 


10 


9 


9 


10 


9 


8 


9 


10 = 90 


4 




... 7 


8 


10 


9 


9 


10 


10 


7 


10 


10 = 90 


5 




... 7 


8 


10 


8 


9 


9 


10 


9 


9 


8 = 87 


6 




... 10 


8 


9 


9 


9 


8 


8 


9 


10 


6 = 86 


7 




... 9 


10 


7 


9 


8 


10 


10 


9 


8 


8 = 88 


8 




. . .10 


7 


10 


8 


9 


8 


8 


10 


8 


7 = 85 


9 




. . 9 


8 


9 


9 


7 


9 


8 


8 


10 


10 = 87 


lO .... 


•• 7 


7 


9 


8 


10 


7 


10 


8 


10 


10 = 86 




Tc 


)tal . . . 


















. ... 868 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 



103 



December 10. 

1 9 8 8 9 10 10 9 9 10 8^=^90 

2 7 10 7 10 8 10 10 7 9 9 = 87 

3 10 8 9 6 9 8 7 8 8 10 = 83 

4 10 9 10 10 9 8 10 7 10 9 = 92 

5 9 9 7 10 9 9 8 10 8 8 = 87 

6 10 S 10 10 10 9 7 9 9 8 = 90 

7 9 10 9 10 10 7 6 9 9 8 = 87 

8 9 710 610 810 9 8 8 = 85 

9 9 10 6 9 10 10 10 9 10 10 = 93 

10 6 7 9 9 9 5 8 10 10 9 = 82 

Total 876 




Eighteen consecutive shots, made by Mr. Allen P. Kelly, in 
Conlin's Gallery, New York City, in revolver match, Massa- 
chusetts Rifle Association target. 



The shooting of Mr. F. E. Bennett attracted 
the attention of Chevalier Paine, who, on Decern- 



I04 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

ber 9, fired 100 shots, using a .38/^44-calibre 
Smith & Wesson revolver, this arm being the 
same as the .44 calibre in exterior, but is bored 
.38 calibre instead of .44. It has a straight shell, 
which extends entirely through the cylinder, com- 
ing flush w^ith the end of cylinder. This was a 
special arm, made to order, and took specially- 
prepared ammunition. 'Only the aggregate for 
100 shots was preserved, which was 878 points. 
This was one point higher than had previously 
been scored. 

On December 13 Chevalier Paine fired 190 
shots w^ith a Smith & Wesson .44-calibre revolver, 
but as lOO-shot records were being compared, we 
take the first 100 shots which made the most fa- 
vorable showing, and the lo-shot strings aggre- 
gated as follows : — 

90 92 87 89 86 85 92 85 85 91 = 882 

The next trial was on Thursday, December 15, 
using same revolver and ammunition, with the 
following result : — 

92 89 89 89 86 88 85 85 83 85 = 871 

On December 17 he again faced the target, firing 
310 shots, the first and second 100 shots showing 
the following results : — 

94 96 90 85 87 86 81 92 88 87 = 886 
89 96 90 89 91 86 87 85 89 86 = 888 

The last lOO-shot score of 888 being two points 
more than any previous record. The lo-shot 




Score of 96 out of a possible 100, in 10 consecutive shots, on 
Standard American target, at 50 yards, made by Chevalier 
Ira a. Paine, at Narragansett Gun Club grounds, Provi- 
dence, R.I., Dec. 17, 1887, with Smith & Wesson .44-calibre 
Russian-model revolver, with factory ammunition of Union 
Metallic Cartridge Co. make. Reduced one-quarter. 



106 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

record was also broken by two strings, which ag- 
gregated 96 points ; higher by one point than any 
previously known record. 

On December 23 Chevalier Paine fired 100 con- 
secutive shots in the presence of the author, 
attempting to beat all previous records. The 
shooting was done at the Narragansett Gun Club 
grounds, at Providence, R.I. The revolver used 
was the Smith & Wesson Russian-model .44 cal- 
ibre, with factory ammunition. The score was 
as follow^s : — 



8 


8 


10 


10 


8 


9 


10 


10 


9 


9=-9i 


9 


9 


7 


10 


9 


9 


7 


7 


10 


10 = 87 


10 


10 


8 


7 


9 


8 


10 


10 


9 


8 = 89 


10 


9 


8 


10 


10 


10 


9 


10 


7 


9 = 92 


7 


9 


10 


10 


8 


9 


8 


8 


7 


10 = 86 


10 


7 


8 


9 


10 


10 


10 


9 


10 


9=92 


10 


8 


10 


10 


10 


10 


8 


9 


9 


10 = 94 


8 


9 


10 


10 


10 


7 


10 


9 


10 


10 = 93 


10 


8 


9 


9 


10 


8 


10 


8 


7 


TO = 89 


10 
Ota] 


8 

I ... 


8 


9 


10 


10 


9 


8 


9 


10 = 91 
Q04. 



This aggregate raised the record 16 points. 

It was generally supposed, when Chevalier Ira 
Paine secured an aggregate of 904 points on the 
Standard American target at 50 yards with a 
Smith & Wesson .44-calibre revolver, that the 
100-shot record would not be disturbed for some 
time. Mr. W. W. Bennett repeatedly stated that 
he would never attempt to break his brother's 
record of 886 points, but would contest against 
the record of any other individual. When it was 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. I07 

announced that Chevalier Paine had secured 904 
points Mr. W. W. Bennett quietly announced his 
intention of surpassing this record, earnestly went 
to work, and, in the presence of reliable witnesses, 
rolled up the unprecedented record of 914 points, 
— 10 points higher than had ever been previously 
secured, and twice during the shooting equalled 
the best lo-shot record of 96 points. 

He shot at Walnut Hill range December 23, 
using a .44-calibre, single-action Smith & Wes- 
son Russian-model army revolver, loaded with 
factory ammunition of Union Metallic Cartridge 
Co. make. The scores in detail are as follows : — 

1 9 10 10 10 10 8 9 10 10 10 = 96 

2: 8 10 10 9 9 9 9 10 8 7 = 90 

3 -8 9 10 10 9 9 10 8 9 10^=92 

4 8 9 10 9 10 7 10 9 8 10 = 90 

5 10 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 = 96 

6 9 10 8 10 7 10 9 10 10 9 = 92 

7 10 10 9 7 10 7 9 9 10 8 = 89 

8 8 7 8 9 10 10 9 10 7 8 = 86 

9 9 8 10 8 10 9 10 10 10 9 = 93 

10 10 7 9 10 9 9 9 10 9 8 = 90 

Total 914 

It should here be recorded that Chevalier Paine 
on his first and second trial cleaned his revolver 
between every 10 shots. Mr. F. E. Bennett in 
all of his shooting cleaned only between each 10 
shots. In the balance of Chevalier Paine's shoot- 
ing he insisted on cleaning his revolver between 
every 5 or 6 shots ; and Mr. W. W. Bennett, 
after Chevalier Paine departed from the custom of 




96 out of a possible 100, on Standard American target, at 50 yards, 
in 10 consecutive shots, with a Smith & Wesson .44-calibre 
Russian-model revolver, witii Union Metallic Cartridge Co. 
ammunition, made at Walnut Hill, Mass., Dec. 23, 1887* by 
Mr. W. W". Bennett. Reduced one-quarter. 



THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. IO9 

cleaning between each 10 shots, run a brush 
through the inside of his barrel after every shot. 
There being no established rules for pistol and re- 
volver shooting in regard to cleaning, the results 
vv^ere accepted as records of performances v^ith 




Six shots with a Smith & Wesson .38.calibre revolver, at 12 
yards, made in Conlin's Gallerv, New York City, April i, 
1887, by Mr. D. D. Davis. 

revolvers. It is also believed that Chevalier 
Paine's shooting, as well as Mr. W. W. Bennett's, 
and a portion of Mr. F. E. Bennett's shooting, was 
done w^ith a trigger-pull of less than 3 pounds. 

It will be found that within a period of two 
years the possibilities of the revolver have been 
proven to be considerably beyond what the manu- 
facturers of the arms, the makers of the ammuni- 



no THE MODERN AMERICAN 

tion, and the experts using the weapons supposed 
were its capabilities. 

The first loo-shot record was 791 points, the 
hist 914 points, or an increase of 123 points. 

In order to carry the shooting at 50 yards from 




Six shots with a .44-calibre revolver, at 12 yards, reduced charge, 
by Mr. George Bird, New York. Score, 71 ; possible, 72. 

its commencement on the Standard American tar- 
get to latest known record with no diversion, the 
author now finds it necessary to go back several 
months to chronicle an event worthy of note. 

It has been stated that the first revolver compe- 
tition on the Standard American target was shot 
at 25 yards, and it has been shown that the dis- 
tance was too short for that target. When the 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. Ill 

programme of the 1886 annual meeting at Creed- 
moor was being arranged, it was proposed to use 
the 200-yard Standard American target at 30 
yards, the author urged the gentlemen in charge 
of this tournament to use the 100-yard Rifle target 
at this distance, and by showing what had been 
accomplished on the 200-yard target, it convinced 
them that a 100-yard Rifle target with a 4- inch 
bull's eye was better for revolver or pistol shoot- 
ing at 30 yards ; and that target and distance were 
selected for the revolver match at Creedmoor in 
1887, and many of the rifle and pistol clubs 
throughout the country arranged similar matches. 
The first record established on the 30-yard pistol 
target was in a 5-shot reentry match at the 
spring meeting of the Massachusetts Rifle Asso- 
ciation, in June, 1887. The score of 43 out of a 
possible 50 was made by Mr. W. W. Bennett, 
and was the highest score made during the three- 
days' tournament. It was the opinion of a major- 
ity of revolver- shooters at that time that this tar- 
get at 30 yards was a difficult one to roll up a 
high score on, and that 40 for 5 -shots and 80 for 
lo-shots was good shooting. At the annual 
meeting of the National Rifle Association at 
Creedmoor in September, 1887, the highest scores 
recorded at 30 yards were by Mr. J. T. B. Collins, 
who secured three aggregates of 44, and Mr. G. 
L. Garrigues, who also secured one score of 44, 
this being the highest aggregate secured in five 
shots at that time. 




Position formerly adopted by Mr. F, E. Bennett. 

(From a pliotograph taken while shooting.) 



THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. II3 

At the fall meeting of the Massachusetts Rifle 
Association Mr. F. E. Bennett won the first prize 
in the revolver competition, w^ith the following 
scores : — 



9 


10 


9 


9 


7 = 44 


8 


10 


10 


9 


8 = 45 


10 


8 


7 


10 


10 = 45 


9 


9 


9 


8 


10 = 45 


10 


10 


10 


8 


10 = 48 



This made 48 the best 5-shot record. 

The next event at this range was the recording 
of the following lo-shot score at Walnut Hill on 
Oct. 12, 1887, by Mr. F. E. Bennett : — 

10 9 10 9 8 8 10 7 10 91=90 

This being the best 10- shot record. This shoot- 
ing was followed by Chevalier Ira Paine, who, in 
November, 1887, I'ecorded the same aggregate at 
Walnut Hill. 

A week later Mr. F. E. Bennett recorded in a 
regular match at Walnut Hill an aggregate of 91, 
wdiich, at the time of closing this chapter, is the 
best known lo-shot record. 




Score of 4S out of a possible 50, in 5 consecutive shots, on Standard 
American target, at 30 yards, made by Mr. F. E. Bennett, in a 
match at Walnut Hill,' Mass., Oct. 6, with a Smith & Wesson 
Russian-model .44-calibre revolver, and factory ammunition, 
Union Metallic Cartridge Co. make. Reduced one-half. 




Chevalier Ira A. Paine's Position. 
(From a photograph taken while shooting.) 



Il6 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 



CHAPTER X. 

PISTOL AND REVOLVER SHOOTING AT LONG 
RANGE. 

Pistol and revolver shooting has been ahiiosl 
wholly confined to short range, both in America 
and Europe. Occasional reports have reached 
this country of shooting in Austria to a dis- 
tance of about 400 yards. This shooting w^as 
done v^nth heavy single-shot pistols, weighing 
from three to five pounds, of about .40 calibre, 
fitted with sights capable of very fine adjustment, 
with set triggers and appliances to aid in securing 
good results. 

To learn the capabilities of an American-made 
single-shot pistol, the author ordered a pair of the 
Remingtons, with 12-inch barrels, .32 calibre, 
and chambered for the cartridge made by the 
Winchester Repeating Arms Co. for the .32-cali- 
bre repeating rifle ; the charge being 20 grains of 
powder and 115 grains of lead. The sights fitted 
to these pistols were very crude, and not suitable 
for the work attempted. With better sights, 
doubtless much finer results would be chronicled. 
The first attempt at long-range shooting w^ith 
these pistols was made by Mr. W. W. Bennett, 
at Walnut Hill. He shot on the 50-yard Stand- 




Mr. W. AV. Bennett, Expert Pistol and Revolver Shot. 

(Shooting a Stevens Pistol.) 



Il8 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

ard American revolver target, at a distance of 
75 yards, scoring as follows : — 

8 lo 5 TO 9 lo 9 9 8 71=85 
Falling back to 100 yards and using the same 
target, he made the following scores : — 
5776 845987 = 66 
10 5 5 5 10 8 5 5 7 7 = 67 
Nineteen of the twenty shots being in a circle of 
i9^Vioo inches. He then proceeded to the 200- 
yard firing-point, where military marksmen were 
practising, and several times scored in ten shots 
36 points out of 50. 

Considerable difficulty was experienced in 
sighting on the eight-inch bull's eye at a distance 
of 200 yards, and a trial w^as given on the second- 
class target, which has the following dimen- 
sions : — 

Size of target, 6x6 feet. 
Bull's-eye, circular, 22 inches in diameter. 
Centre, " 38 '' " 

Inner, '' 54 '' '' 

Outer, remainder of target. 

The first trial was at a distance of 150 yards, 
where the following scores were made : — 

Six shots ^ possible jo. 

5 5 5 5 5 4=29 

200 yards. 

3 5 5 4 5 5 = 27 




^^?^^^ ■ "V/vy TO UiC. CO /i OS 7 



Mr. B. J. Robertson, Expert Revolver Shot. 
(Champion of Kentucky, 18S7.) 



I20 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 
2^0 yards. 

3 4 4 3 5 5 = 24 

J 00 yards. 
2 5 2 33 5 = 20 

j>50 yards, 

5 5 3 4 3 4 = 24 

All of the above shooting was done off-hand, 
with the right arm fully extended. 

It was generally believed among the expert 
pistol-shots the author has met, that the modern 
American revolver could not be depended on 
much beyond 75 yards, and it was thought useless 
to try to accomplish good work beyond. 

On Oct. 27, 1 887, Chevalier Paine devoted the 
entire day, in company with a representative of 
The Rifle, in experimenting with the revolver 
at Walnut Hill. Among the numerous experi- 
ments tried was shooting with Smith & Wesson 
revolvers, at long range. It was decided to shoot 
on the second-class target, commencing at 125 
yards and falling back until it was thought the 
limit of accuracy with the revolver was found. It 
was agreed that each one should take sighting- 
shots at the several distances until the target was 
hit, the first shot striking the target and the fol- 
lowing fiA'e to count. 

The result was as follows : — 




Mr. WAT.TER WiNANS, Expert Revolver Shot. 



122 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

Representative 
Chevalier Paine. of The Rifle. 

J 2^ yards. 
3 2 5 4 5 5 = 24 245545 = 25 

750 yards. 
3 4 5 5 5 5 = 27 4 4 5 5 4 4 = 26 

200 yards. 
5 22405 = 18 433334 = 20 

2^0 yards. 
345323= 20 432400= 13 

joo yards. 
450040=13 202024= 10 

In some cases the first sighting-shot struck the 
target. At 300 yards it took three shots from one 
party to find the target ; at all other times one 
or two shots w^ere sufficient. The scores given 
above are not intended to show excellence in 
marksmanship, but to record the results obtained 
at the first trial by persons unacquainted with the 
range of the revolver and the sights. The am- 
munition used w^as a condemned lot sent to the 
range by mistake, but which, doubtless, was 
better than supposed to be. It had been loaded 
several years, and the lubricant was hard, and in 
many cases partially detached from the bullet. 
After the first score had been secured at the several 
distances. Chevalier Paine shot at 200 yards, and 
secured 29 out of a possible 30, making five bull's- 
eyes and one centre. 

Two wrecks later Mr. F. E.Bennett, with a .44- 
calibre Russian-model Smith & Wesson revolver. 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. I 23 

shot over about the same distances, with the fol- 
lowing results : — 

2d class target. — /jo yards. 

5 5 5 5 5 5 = 30 

200 yards. 

5 34045 = 20 

2^0 yards. 

3 4 5 4 3 = 19 

J 00 yards. 

5 3 o o o 0=8 

If the revolver is properly sighted, there is 
little doubt that good shooting with this arm can 
be done up to about 300 yards, under favorable 
weather conditions. With a single-shot pistol it 
has been shown that good work can be done at 
400 yards. The revolver being a more practical 
w^eapon than the pistol, it is likely that the single- 
shot pistol will in future be confined almost 
wholly to indoor target practice, and the revolver 
will be used exclusively in many clubs who shoot 
their matches out of doors. It has been proven 
that the revolver is a powerful and accurate weap- 
on from 10 to 250 yards. The results of experi- 
ments which have been recorded in this chapter 
were made with the object of showing that a 
marksman, or soldier with ordinary skill, ought 
to hit every time, with a shot from an army re- 
volver, a standing object the size of a mounted 
cavalryman, from 50 to 250 yards off. 



124 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

As stated, the results given in this chapter were 
the first attempts with no previous knowledge of 
the range of the weapon, and if practice is carried 
on it will not surprise the writer to hear that per- 
fect six-shot scores have been made on the second- 
class target at distances from loo to 250 yards. 
With the sights used on a Smith & Wesson .44- 
calibre Russian-model revolver at 30 and 50 
yards one can shoot up to 250 yards without aim- 
ing off the target. 




standard American Targ-et, reduced from 50-yard target, one-six- 
teenth ; from 30-yard, one-eighth. Designed by Major C. W. 
HiNMAN. Adopted and used by American Pistol and Re- 
volver Clubs. 



126 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 



CHAPTER XL 

RULES FOR PISTOL AND REVOLVER SHOOTING. 

The need of rules governing pistol and revolver 
competitions has been apparent during the past 
three years. The distance, trigger-pull, and some 
general rules were briefly laid down by the clubs 
where matches were shot. For a time it has been 
generally believed that the arms used in these 
competitions should be classed ; that a decision 
arrived at in regard to trigger-pull, the sights per- 
mitted clearly defined, ammunition described, and 
rules determining the amount of cleaning per- 
mitted, manner of loading and firing, positions 
permitted, and other rules explicitly stated. The 
Massachusetts Rifle Association, after a long 
and careful consideration, adopted the following 
rules : — 

All meetings for competitions will be con- 
ducted by an executive officer, aided by assistants. 

The executive officer shall have control of the 
range foi* the conduct of matches, and shall give 
such directions to the employes of the club as in 
his judgment are necessary for the proper manage- 
ment of the same, and for the preservation of 
order. 

The executive officer and his assistants are 
required to see that the regulations, and such 




Miss Annie Oakley, Expert Lady Pistol Shot, 



128 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

directions as the executive officer may give, are 
rigidly complied with by competitors and all other 
persons upon the range. 

They w^ill see that the squads of competitors 
are stationed in rear of firing-points, and that each 
competitor remains there until called by the score- 
keeper to take his position at the firing-point. 
The score-keepers w^ill be seated in rear of the 
firing-points. 

Score-keepers shall, as each shot is signalled, 
call in a loud voice the name of the competitor and 
the value of the shot, and, at the conclusion of the 
score of each competitor, announce in like manner 
his name and total score. 

All competitors shall be allowed to examine 
the records of the score-keeper during the prog- 
ress of the match, but in such a manner as not to 
interfere with or inconvenience the score-keeper. 

Any competitor feeling himself aggrieved by 
the ruling of the executive officer, may make to 
the secretary a statement of his grievance in writ- 
ing, which shall be handed at once to the executive 
committee for its consideration. The decision of 
the executive committee shall be final, subject, 
however, to the discretion of said committee, or 
any two members of it, to refer the matter to the 
board of directors for its decision. 

Challenges will only be permitted at the dis- 
cretion of the executive officer. The executive 
officer may, in his discretion, challenge the marking 




No. 3. 
Holsters for Revolvers. 

I. Leather. 2. Rubber. 3. Leather. 



I30 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

of any shot the allowance of which would be un- 
just to other competitors, and correct the score 
accordingly. 

Any objection to the scoring of a shot as sig- 
nalled, or to one not signalled, must be made be- 
fore another shot shall have been fired on the same 
target. 

It shall be the right of the shooter to challenge 
the scoring, and the executive officer may decide 
upon the evidence the actual value of the shot. 

Any alteration of a scoring-ticket must be 
witnessed by an officer in charge of the firing- 
point, and indorsed with his initials. 

Double entries are prohibited, no shot being 
allowed to count in more than one match. 

No sighting-shots shall be allowed except on 
targets specially designated for that purpose by the 
executive officer, and in no case on targets on 
which a match is in progress, unless in an emer- 
gency, to be decided by the executive officer. 

Unfinished scores shall be considered worth- 
less after having been withdrawn from the scorer, 
and no shots can be claimed under or by virtue of 
the same after having been so withdrawn. 

No scorer is allowed to have at one time more 
than one score-card for each shooter, and no 
shooter is allowed to shoot without having an un- 
finished score-card deposited with the scorer. 

Ties shall be decided as follows, viz. : each 
competitor shooting three shots, until decided. 







Bean's Perspiration-Proof Pistol Holsters. 
(Manufactured by John P. Lovell Arms Company, Boston.) 



132 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

No scores with handicap shall exceed a perfect 
score. 

Competitors who have to shoot off ties will be 
notified as soon after each match as practicable. 
When the ties are shot off one sighting-shot shall 
be allowed without charge. Competitors not 
present at the firing-points at the hour named for 
shooting off the ties lose their right to shoot, and 
will be placed accordingly. 

Temporary disconthiuance of matches, on 
account of bad weather, and the closing limit for 
receiving entries shall be at the discretion of the 
executive officer. 

An entry-ticket, except when sold in block, 
maybe transferred at any reasonable time, by pre- 
senting it to the statistical officer for exchange. 
Any erasure or substitution of name by the holder 
will forfeit the ticket. 

In single-entry matches no entry shall be made 
after the firing begins if any participant objects. 

Competitors will have choice of prizes unless 
otherwise stated. 

Penalties. — Competitors must make them- 
selves acquainted with the regulations, as the plea 
of ignorance will not be entertained. 

No competitor shall be allowed to use more 
than one name besides his own in any one match. 

A comj^etitor faiHng to report at the time and 
target to which he is assigned, or shooting at pool 
or practice after the hour set for the simultaneous 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 1 33 

opening of a match, shall forfeit his entry. (The 
last clause will not prevent pool-shooting between 
scores in reentry matches.) Any member shoot- 
ing at pool or practice between shots of a score 
shall forfeit the score. 

All competitors and other persons must pre- 
serve order and decorum, submit to the direction 
and decisions of the executive officer, and make 
all objections and protests, if any, to the proper 
officials, in a manner which will not disturb 
others. 

Pistols and revolvers may be discharged only 
in firing at the target in pools or matches, or into 
such w^arming-pits as may be designated (in that 
case without bullet), and any competitor or other 
person discharging pistols or revolvers otherwise, 
or havnig a loaded shell inserted in his pistol or 
revolver while elsewhere than upon the actual 
firing-point, may be disqualified for the time being, 
or fined a sum not exceeding three dollars, at the 
discretion of the executive officer. 

Any violation of rules or discreditable conduct 
which the executive officer may consider of such 
magnitude as to require it, shall be reported to the 
directors for their action. 

Any shooter firing upon the wrong target 
shall be recorded a miss. 

The rules governing rifle competitions, so far as 
they are applicable, shall be in force in all pistol 
competitions. 



134 THE MODERN AMERICAN PISTOL, ETC. 

In all matches, when not otherwise mentioned, 
either single-shot pistols or revolvers will be per- 
mitted upon equal conditions ; but if matches call 
for the revolver the single-shot pistol will not be 
admitted, unless specially mentioned. 

SPECIAL RULES. 

Pistols and revolvers allowed in competitions 
must conform to the following conditions : — 
A. — Army or navy revolver. 
£. — Any revolver. 
C — Any pistol. 

A. — Army or Navy Revolvers must be such 
as have been adopted by any government for the 
armament of its army or navy, and must conform 
in all respects of model, sights, and ammunition 
used, to the service revolver of such nation. 

B. — Any Revolver. — Revolvers of any cali- 
bre, maximum wxight, three pounds ; maximum 
length of bore, including cylinder, ten inches. 

C. — Shzgle-Shot Pistols. — Any breech or 
muzzle loading pistol, maximum weight, three 
pounds ; maximum length of bore, ten inches. 

Trigger- PmIL — In all matches, or in practice 
shooting, the minimum trigger-pull shall be three 
pounds. 

Sights for any Pistols or Revolvers. — The 
front and rear sights must be open ; the notch of 
a rear sight, to be considered open, must be as 
wide at the top of the notch as at any part ; no 



oo 
o 



o 



o 



o 



Diagratn of six consecutive shots, fired from a rest, at 50 yards, with 
a Colt's Frontier Model revolver, .44 calibre, full charge, — 40 
grains of pow^der, 200 grains of lead. 



136 THE MODERN AMERICAN 

aperture or peep sights, nor any manner of 
covered sights, shall be permitted. Lateral 
sliding-bars or wind-gauge may be used on rear 
open sight, also any elevating front or rear open 
sight. The use of a notch for a front sight will 
not be permitted. Sights may be smoked or 
blackened in any desired manner. No device 
shall be worn on or over the eye, or on glasses, to 
secure the sight through an aperture. 

Ammunitio7i, — If factory ammunition is called 
for it shall be of any make, of any established 
manufacturer, generally procurable in stores, and 
brought to the shooting-point in unbroken boxes, 
with the label of the manufacturer intact. 

Cleaning, — In any match where both pistols 
and revolvers are allowed, competitors may clean 
their arms at will, provided such cleaning does not 
delay the firing, which shall be at the rate of one 
shot per minute, or oftener during the firing of 
each score, except in case of accident. In such 
case the time may be extended, in the discretion 
of the executive officer. 

In matches confined to revolvers the cylinder 
must be fully charged, or a sufiicient number of 
chambers charged to complete the score. Blowing 
into or cleaning the barrel in any way will not be 
permitted, except when the cylinder is completely 
discharged. 

Loading and Firing, — No arms shall be 
loaded except at the firing-point, the muzzle of 



PISTOL AND REVOLVER. 1 37 

piece being kept in the direction of the target till 
the arm is either discharged or unloaded. 

Miss-fires shall not count ; but an accidental 
discharge shall, in every instance, be counted. 

Position, — The position shall be as follows: 
Standing, free from any other artificial support ; 
the pistol or revolver held in one hand only, 
vs^ith the arm extended free from the body, and 
unsupported in any w^ay. The rear sight of the 
pistol or revolver shall not be nearer to the eye 
than twelve inches. 

Targets, — The Standard American target, full 
size, having an eight-inch bull, shall be used in 
matches at fifty yards' distance. The same target 
reduced to one-half size, having a four-inch bull, 
in matches at thirty yards' distance. The same 
target reduced to one-quarter size, having a two- 
inch bull, in matches at twenty yards' distance. 
The target reduced in the same proportion to dis- 
tance, in matches of a lesser range. 

Marking and Scoring, — Unless otherwise 
specified, each competitor w^ill have a separate 
target provided and will fire his score throughout, 
when the target will be examined by the scorer 
and the score recorded. In case of any dispute as 
to the value of a shot, the same may be chal- 
lenged, as provided for in Rule 3, sec. 4, of shoot- 
ing rules governing rifie competitions. 



